The Grinning Fox
by Ruthie of the Wildcats
Summary: [SasuNaru][Shounenai][Ch.11 has swearing][Complete]When Uchiha Sasuke adopts a fox kit, he at first doubts that any good will come of it. But as he grows to love his new companion, he realizes that there is another fox out there for him to love.
1. Chapter 1

**This is my first Naruto fic, so be nice about it. All right, basically what happened is I had this crazy dream after watching a Naruto marathon. I dreamed that Sasuke (go figure) found this little fox and took it home with him. At first he hated it, but after a while, he got over the dislike and started to really like the little thing. And through that little fox, he realized that there was another fox out there for him: Naruto.**

**So there you have it. After that dream, I am all for SasuNaru. ;D Enjoy the slashiness of it all!! XDDD**

_Crash!_

Uchiha Sasuke stopped in his tracks, his head snapping to look over his right shoulder as he sought the source of the sound. The noise had come from a nearby alleyway, just a little behind him. A trash can lid rattled out of the narrow passage, rolling out into the street, where it rocked from side to side before falling with a clatter. The boy turned back and crouched down at the mouth of the alley. He frowned slightly. "Just a fox," he muttered, pushing himself back up to a standing position.

Standing fearfully beside a landslide of garbage was a tiny fox kit with scruffy fur. Its body was dead—Sasuke could count each rib and vertebra—but its eyes glittered fiercely with life. The scrawny animal hesitantly stepped closer, mouth opening in a pleading squeak. Sasuke shook his head.

"What do you want from me?" he asked it. Gesturing to the trash, he added, "You've managed to get at what passes for food for your kind. There's a forest outside this village; go there, and I'm sure you'll find a nice vixen to play with."

The fox kit whimpered, stepping even closer. Each step was a great strain to its weakened body. Sasuke almost pitied the poor thing. It looked up at him, almost begging on its knees for his help and affection. He turned his head away. "Do you know where I come from, little fox? I'm from the Uchiha clan...you can't expect your pitiful act to affect me."

The kit pawed him gently on the leg and whined again. Its skinny body trembled, and Sasuke swore he could see little black fleas hopping through its rumpled pelt. "No. Go away." The youth stood up and turned away from the fox. "I told you what you can do, little fox, and that's all you'll get from me. Good luck. You'll need it, in your condition."

Whimper.

_Ignore it._

Yip.

_What on earth would I do with it, anyway? Keep it as a pet? Carry it around on my head like that Inuzuka fool, Kiba? _

Sasuke stopped as the lid in the road rattled from side to side. He looked down at it just in time to see the fox kit poke its scruffy head out from underneath it. The look in its black eyes plainly said, _Aren't I just so cute? Can you honestly resist this little baby face?_ He scoffed, unimpressed. "I don't think you've got enough strength to win me over."

The furry face's expression changed to read, _I can certainly try._ Sasuke shook his head and looked away. He continued down the street, eyes shifting upward to a fox-free view. What did that little scrap of fur and bone think it was doing, trying to win him over like that? He had made it perfectly clear that he had a no-fox rule to his life.

Pit-pat. Pit-pat.

Uchiha Sasuke turned and shouted, "I thought I told you not to follow me!" as loudly as he could. He expected to hear some sort of terrified yelp or the scrabble of fleeing paws, but the only sound was that of his words bouncing off the walls of buildings. The fox kit remained unmoved, gazing up at him adoringly. He sighed and crouched down. "What do you want from me?" he asked again, staring hard at the small animal. "If I..._pet _you, will you go away? If I _feed _you?"

The tiny fox yipped happily and started to chase its mangy tail. Sasuke heaved another sigh. "What, are you trying to make me laugh? If I smile will you go away?" He leaned his face closer, wary not to bring it too close to the little muzzle. Memories of that day at school flashed back to him. He had unintentionally kissed that loudmouth Naruto...But why was he reminded of that? _It must be the Kyuubi,_ he reasoned. _Naruto has that fox sealed inside him._

He leaned too close, and the fox licked his nose.

Sasuke stumbled back with a cry. "Don't _do_ that!" he snapped, hot blood surging to his face with anger. That had been too close to Naruto's unfortunate 'kiss.' The fox kit tripped back onto its tail with a startled bark. "Go back to your alley, you little fleabag! I don't work with animals." He pushed himself up and started to walk away again. The fox whined plaintively. Sasuke turned. "You're really persistent, aren't you, little fox? You don't know when to give up. You can't take 'no' for an answer."

The fox cocked its head to the side and licked its nose. One ear perked up, the other drooped down. Sasuke almost laughed as he bent down closer. The scrawny thing looked so comical with pudgy paws supporting bony limbs, fur that was frizzy on its body and sleek on its face, and a dancing light in its vivid, dark eyes. "I'll admit, you are a little cute, but why would I want you following me around everywhere?"

The kit barked and spanked the ground playfully with its front paws. The boy smiled slightly. "I've already told you, you'll never win me over completely." The miniature mange-ball's face said it begged to differ. In a bold and daring move the tiny fox hurled itself at Sasuke's face and started a licking frenzy. The boy sputtered and struggled to catch his playful attacker. "Stop it! No! J—just, no—No! Stop that right now!" His fingers wrapped around its belly, and he literally pried the creature from his face.

Anger bubbled up from his stomach, making his breathing ragged and harsh. The fox did not cower before him. Rather, it tipped its head to the side, perked up one ear, and dropped the other. Sasuke groaned as his rage slipped through his fingers like sand or water. "Why do you do this to me?" he moaned. "Can't you see?—I don't want you! I don't want you now, I won't want you tomorrow, I'll never want you trailing after me like a lost puppy!" He plunked the fluffy fox kit down on the street and started to leave.

_Why does it want to be with me?_ he wondered as he plodded along the road. _Why, after everything I shouted at it, does that crazy fox think I want to be with it? It doesn't make any sense to me, not in the least. I mean, what kina of ninja works with foxes? They work with dogs and insects, but foxes?_

Sasuke shook his head, trying to shake the memory of the creature's warm, wet tongue tickling his nose. He wiped his nose firmly with the back of his hand and grunted with disgust. The fox's saliva smelled like disease and garbage. It made him feel almost sick. He wondered what the kit's life would be like now. It would probably depend on trash for its daily food...not something he would like to do, that was for sure. It looked so scrawny and malnourished, it probably wouldn't last a few more months. An unwanted feeling stopped him: pity.

Annoying, gross, and skeletal as it was, that fox was still young. It needed care from someone, and it might as well be him. Sasuke knew that it wasn't only in fables that foxes were cunning. Their sense of smell was as good as a dog's. They had sharp claws and fangs, too. Maybe, just maybe, using a fox in his battles wasn't such a crazy idea after all. His mind warmed up to the possibilities. He could try to train the fox to smell chakra like Kiba's dog. That might prove a useful advantage. And if he told people the fox was part of him, he could use it in fights, like Shino and his bugs. He thought of himself facing up to some opponent or another—he couldn't see their face—and saw the fox standing at his side. And quite frankly, it seemed like a good thing. He imagined himself sitting in a hot bath, soaking away the trials of the day, and saw the little fox's head bobbing up and down as it swam.

The youth turned around, looking for the tiny thing. The street was empty. "Little fox?" he called softly. "Little fox? Come out!" No answer. Not even the softest of sniffs broke the silence. Sasuke started walking back to the alley. "Little fox?"

He heard a quiet rustling noise and started into the alleyway. The tiny fox was sorting miserably through the garbage again, its lively eyes dull. Sasuke crouched down before the pile. The fox looked up, then went right back to its business. "Little fox, I changed my mind," Sasuke said gently. "I want you to come with me. We can train together...isn't that what you wanted?"

The skinny kit glared at him as if to say, _Well, maybe I don't want you anymore. Did you ever think of that?_

"But _I_ want _you_. Look, I know it's big change of heart, but I'm willing to try a partnership with you. What do you say?" He held out his hand for the fox to sniff. The fox studied it almost scornfully, then tapped his palm with its tiny paw. The deal was settled.

Sasuke stood up, and the fox rubbed up against his leg like a kitten. Its black eyes flashed affection and loyalty. The youth nodded. "All right. It's settled, then. You and I are partners now, little fox. I think you deserve a name. How about Hikitsuko?" The fox looked at him skeptically. "Hikitsuko comes from _hi, kitsune,_ and_ ko,_ meaning _fire-fox-child,_" Sasuke explained. "Because I'm sure that underneath all that mange and grime, you've got a pelt like the summer sun."

Hikitsuko stared up at him, its black eyes dancing. Sasuke picked it up briefly to determine its gender. Male. He nodded and set the fox back down. "Very well, Hikitsuko. I suppose you should just follow me. I'll take you to your new home."

Hikitsuko whimpered and kneaded Sasuke's leg like a kitten. "No, I'm not going to carry you. You've got four legs, you can walk on your own. Just think about food and a nice hot bath. That should keep you going." The fox kit gave a disgruntled squeak, but it marched up beside him without further protest.

Sasuke led the way back to his home, his mind wandering aimlessly over his new "pet." Hikitsuko needed a bath, that was for sure, and someplace to sleep. He could fold up a towel for the little furball to sleep on. What did foxes eat, anyway? _Probably anything they can get their paws on,_ he thought with a tickle of amusement. Even if the fox didn't turn out to be as useful as Kiba's dog or Shino's bugs, it would be fun to have around.

As he opened the door and stepped inside, Sasuke was troubled by a brief thought. He recalled Hikitsuko licking his nose, and linked it immediately to Naruto's accidental kiss. Without asking permission first, his mind connected the warm breath and gentle touch of both. He shook the thought away. "All right, little fox," he said aloud, "let's get you cleaned up."

;-:-;-:-;

Hikitsuko, as it turned out, was afraid of water. The skinny fox yelped in terror and cowered behind Sasuke at the sight of the bathtub. The young boy sighed and scooped the quivering kit up. "Look, it's not going to hurt you," he told him. He dipped a hand into the water and pulled it back out again. "See? Nothing happened to my hand. Don't be afraid of the water. I'll hold you up if you don't know how to swim."

The tiny fox whined. Sasuke sighed. "God, you're such a coward," he grumbled. "What do I have to do to convince you to get into the water? Should I throw in something for you to dive after? Should I throw in food? Should I get in with you?" He didn't expect a reaction for the last option, but to his surprise and dismay, Hikitsuko brightened up immediately. "You can't be serious."

The black eyes narrowed as if to say, _Oh, but I am._ Sasuke sighed. "All right...I will." Retreating behind a screen, he stripped down to his shorts and climbed into the bath. "There. I'm in. Now it's your turn."

Hikitsuko backed up and looked like he was about ready to run, but Sasuke was faster. He grabbed the fox and plunked him into the water. The tiny cub floundered and squealed frantically. The boy sighed as he placed his knee under the flailing limbs. "I'm not going to let you drown," he growled. "Hold still!"

He balanced the frightened fox on his kneecap for a few minutes. Hikitsuko's struggles gradually slowed as he realized that, in fact, the water was not trying to kill him, and he was quite safe. Finally, he was still, staring at the water intently. He pushed his muzzle under and blew a few bubbles. Sasuke laughed softly. "What do you think you're doing?"

He reached out and grabbed a bar of soap. Hikitsuko sniffed the white soap curiously. Sasuke lathered up his hands and started to scrub. Dust, dirt, and he couldn't say what fell away from the fox's body and stained the water. Hikitsuko, who had discovered how to tread water, but was still perched on Sasuke's knee, mewed with pleasure. The youth shook his head wonderingly. "See, it wasn't all that bad. In fact, I bet you like it, don't you?" Hikitsuko squealed happily.

_This little fox is going to drive me mad,_ Sasuke thought, frowning. _The more time I spend with him, though, the more I can't resist him. It's like he knows something I don't know, and he's bent on keeping that secret from me. He's almost like...Like...Like Naruto..._

Hikitsuko dived from his knee without warning, plunging underwater like an otter. Sasuke waited for him to surface, somewhat amused. In a spray of bubbles, the now-snowy muzzle poked up from the water, something dark clenched in it. Sasuke lifted the fox up. "What did you find for me?" he asked.

The chain of the bath-plug. Sasuke almost laughed. "I guess you're telling me you're finished bathing," he teased. "All right, I'll take that as an answer." He picked up the tiny fox and stood. Grabbing a towel from the counter, he wrapped Hikitsuko up in its folds and left the bathroom. The fox kit grumbled angrily at the manhandling, but was otherwise compliant.

Uchiha Sasuke sat down on the floor of his room and released Hikitsuko. He gathered up two handfuls of towel and started to rub vigorously. The fox squeaked and yipped in protest, struggling under the brisk rubbing. Sasuke ignored it. The friction would help stimulate circulation and do good for him. When he had finished, Hikitsuko looked like an orange, stringy-furred puffball, but the fur standing on end was clean and brightly-colored. Hikitsuko's undermuzzle and belly shone pure white. His paws were dark, and dark socks extended up his legs.

Actually, he was kind of cute when he was clean.

_He smells so much better now, too. _Sasuke's stomach rumbled mutedly with hunger, as did Hikitsuko's. The two looked at each other as if sharing secret messages with their eyes. Sasuke stood up, gathering the cub up in one hand. "If you're going to partner up with me," he said sternly, "you've got to put on some weight." _'Weight' doesn't cover it. You'd have to double your size just to be healthy!_

He stopped in the kitchen and set Hikitsuko down gently on the floor. Foxes were opportunistic feeders. They would eat whatever they could catch between their teeth. However, he really didn't think it would be good if his new friend ate just anything. He pulled a bit of this and that out and set a bit of it down in small bowls on the floor. Hikitsuko approached each dish and sniffed it over carefully before taking a nibble. Sasuke sighed and grabbed a bowl of ramen for himself.

"You know, I think this could actually work," he mumbled around the hot noodles in his mouth. "It'll take some time to get you used to fighting, but once you do, I think you've got potential, Hikitsuko." The fox looked up at the sound of his name. "I'm not doing anything tomorrow. How about you and I start working on pulling together then?"

Hikitsuko, his mouth ringed white with milk, barked happily. Sasuke nodded. "All right. Tomorrow it is, then."

;-:-;-:-;

"Oh, no you don't. You sleep _there_."

The boy grasped the fox around his bony middle and plunked him down on the folded towel on the floor. Just as he was leaning back, Hikitsuko jumped up and back onto his bed. Sasuke growled in frustration as he dropped the fox kit back onto the makeshift bed. "Hikitsuko, I know this might be hard for you to understand, but you don't sleep with me, _okay_? You're not that special, _okay_? Despite what you may think, you aren't welcome in my bed. Sleep in your own."

Hikitsuko whined, and Sasuke rolled over. "No," he said plainly. "I'm not listening to you. There is nothing wrong with your bed, fox. It won't kill you to sleep on the floor, so sleeping on a towel shouldn't harm you." The fox whimpered pitifully, but Sasuke ignored it and turned off the light.

Hikitsuko waited, calculating the right moment, waiting for his one chance to make his move. He pricked up his ears to hear that critical point when Sasuke's breathing slowed in sleep. He scanned the terrain between the towel and the bed to make sure his leap was perfect. When the time was right and the conditions perfect, he sprang.

Sasuke grunted and shifted slightly, but did not wake up. Hikitsuko made himself comfortable on the soft mattress and cuddled up beneath the boy's chin. He sighed a foxy sigh and closed his eyes. The two slept on until morning. Then and only then would Uchiha Sasuke realize the consequences of underestimating his pint-sized companion.


	2. Chapter 2

"No! Out! What did I tell you last night?" Sasuke demanded as he grabbed Hikitsuko by the scruff of the neck. The fox yelped at the rude awakening. The boy dropped him down on the floor roughly. "You just don't know the meaning of the word 'don't', do you?"

Muttering darkly under his breath, Sasuke wondered if the fox was going to prove to be more trouble than he was worth. He stripped off his nightclothes and quickly changed into his typical blue shirt and gray shorts. Hikitsuko bounced behind him as he staggered, still half-asleep, into the kitchen. Immediately, the kit fell onto the half-eaten bowls of food from the previous night Sasuke had neglected to put away. The boy grimaced at the thought of drinking milk that had sat out all night.

He made a simple bowl of fried rice for himself and sat down on the counter to eat. Tables and chairs were overrated, anyway. "I bet that tastes disgusting," he grumbled as Hikitsuko plunged his snout into a dish of ant-covered meat. The fox looked up, pink tongue scattering the insects from his lips. "Really—that's just nasty." Sasuke ate another bite of his rice, and Hikitsuko begged like a dog. "Fine, but just a bite." Sasuke hopped down and dropped a bit of rice into the bowl that had once held milk. The tiny fox gobbled it down and begged for more. "Well, I did tell you you'd have to bulk up...All right, but just a little bit."

He wound up feeding the fox half his rice before it was all said and done. Hikitsuko whimpered and held up the bowl in his teeth. Sasuke shook his head. "No, that's it. You're done eating my breakfast. Besides, you never train with a full stomach." The fox growled disappointedly and set the dish back down on the floor. "You know, you'd have gotten my attention better if you'd dropped and broken my bowl."

_Why would I want to do that?_ Hikitsuko seemed to be asking with his head tilted to the side and his brow furrowed in confusion. Sasuke shook his head.

"Never mind. Let me finish and then we'll go."

Hikitsuko proceeded to prance around in front of the door, yipping and squeaking happily. He leapt into the air and spun around nimbly. Sasuke was impressed. He still looked like a skeleton, but already he was filling up with life. The boy made a feather-light landing from the counter and set about putting away the dishes. Hikitsuko whined impatiently. "Don't get your tail in a twist, fox, I'm almost ready."

When he had finished, Hikitsuko was practically crying in anticipation. Sasuke opened the door and the fox shot out in a streak of sunset gold. He gave a sharp shout and sprinted after the scrawny little beast. Hikitsuko bolted away from Sasuke, whining and yelping. "Hikitsuko! Get back here!" The kit skidded to a sudden halt in front of a small shrub and retched. Sasuke stepped back in alarm and disgust. Within seconds, Hikitsuko was hurling up everything he had eaten. "I warned you about eating too much," Sasuke said apathetically. Hikitsuko turned to face him, muzzle dripping, eyes dull. He whimpered shamefully.

Sasuke sighed and pinched his forehead to clamp down on his growing frustration. Hikitsuko whined again and slumped down at his foot. "What am I going to do with you? You're high-strung, naive, and not too bright. Are you sick? Do we need to call it a day?" He opened one eye to study the fox kit. Hikitsuko's black eyes had found their bright sparkles once more, and he appeared to have recovered from the incident. "All right. If you're fine now, let's get working."

Hikitsuko stretched up on his hand legs and licked Sasuke's knee, the closest thing he could reach. Sasuke sighed again and started for the small clearing where he and the others in his team had trained so many times before. _I can't help wondering if I've doomed myself to years of torment by taking this runt in._

;-:-;-:-;

Taking a deep breath, Sasuke centered himself and gathered a small amount of chakra to his fingertips. He held out his hands, palm up, to Hikitsuko. "Sniff," he commanded, none to gently. "This is chakra, Hikitsuko, and you should get to know its scent."

Hikitsuko studied his fingers closely, as though fascinated by some smell he couldn't trace. Sasuke stepped it up a notch and allowed his fingers to glow dully. "There. Can you see it now? That's what you're...looking...for..." He trailed off miserably as the fox kit started batting and nipping at his fingertips. "No! It's not a toy, idiot fox, it's energy!" Hikitsuko looked up at him curiously. "Listen to me—_I'm not the tree over there, I'm_ _here_—chakra is—_Pay attention!_—is life energy. It's used—_Look here, you dumb fox!_—for..." The youth stopped talking as he realized that the fox kit was much more interested in poking his nose around the small clearing.

_This is going to be a little more challenging than I thought,_ he thought. _Time for a new tactic._ Sasuke gathered himself up and transformed into a vixen of Hikitsuko's size. He barked softly, attracting the young tod's attention. Hikitsuko turned sharply and raced over. He sniffed Sasuke's nose in greeting, and the boy transformed back with a _pop_ and a puff of smoke. The fox kit yelped and flipped over onto his tail. "There! That got your attention, didn't it? _That _is one of the many uses for chakra: a transformation jitsu. If I set my mind to it, I could turn myself into the girl of your dreams or the monster of your nightmares."

Sasuke smiled slightly. "Now let's try scenting the chakra again." He gathered the energy into his fingers and held them out, letting them glow a little so Hikitsuko could see what he was smelling. "I'm going to transfer a little of my chakra into things around here. It's your job to find where I put it." He focused on a rock nearby and let the energy fall from his fingers. Hikitsuko sniffed the air and zeroed in on the stone. He pounced on it like he would a mouse and tried to fight it. "You don't have to attack the object, but it's a start. All right, come back and we'll try it again."

After many tries, Sasuke was tired, but satisfied. Hikitsuko proved to have a good sense of smell and he knew how to smell for chakra. All that was needed was for him to learn to judge an opponent's strength by the strength of their chakra flow, but there would be time to work on that later.

Now came the important part. It was all well and good that Hikitsuko was an adept chakra-smeller, but he needed to know how to fight. Sasuke turned to the wooden dummy standing in the center of the clearing. "All right, Hikitsuko," he began, "let's see what you've got. Attack that post." He pointed, but the fox was nowhere to be seen. The boy looked down. "Hikitsuko?"

Hikitsuko whimpered fearfully and cowered behind Sasuke's leg. The boy groaned. "Don't tell me you're afraid of a wooden post." The fox curled into a shivering ball. "You attacked a rock, a bush, a pile of wood, and you're afraid of a training dummy." He scooped the terrified fox up. "Don't make me force you to attack," he menaced. "I'll do whatever it takes. I'll throw you at it if that's what I have to do." The kit began a long stream of barks and grunts. Sasuke sighed. "I don't speak Fox."

"He wants to know what the point of all this is," a voice broke in from Sasuke's left. The Uchiha youth whipped around. Uzumaki Naruto. The blonde boy winked. "He also wants to know why you're so bent on making him hurt something that won't hurt him."

"What—you—how—," stuttered Sasuke as Naruto smiled. Hikitsuko crept over to the orange-clad boy, black eyes wide. "How do you know what he's saying?"

Naruto stopped smiling as he scooped up the fox kit. "I figured you would know," he said bitterly. Sasuke thought for a minute, then nodded.

"Oh...right. The _Kyuubi_." Naruto nodded. "I forgot."

"At least someone in this village is willing to," the boy muttered darkly. Sasuke didn't feel like telling him he hadn't made that much of an effort to forget and the nine-tail fox demon had simply slipped his mind. "Anyway, why do _you_ have a fox, Sasuke? I thought you hated small, furry things unless they were in your stomach."

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "If you really want to know, I wanted to try fighting with him," he replied. "You know, like Kiba has his dog and Shino has all those insects. Why?"

Naruto lifted Hikitsuko up to study him closer. "Huh!" he scoffed. "Some fighting partner _this_ little fleabag would make. Have you been letting him eat _anything_ at all?" This seemed to anger Hikitsuko, and he began thrashing and snapping. Naruto listened, nodding. "Oh...right, then."

"What did he say?"

"He says you've been feeding him things fresh that he's only seen covered in fuzz and it's none of my business how he treats you." The boy grinned. "By the way, he says I shouldn't be insulting his mother."

"I wasn't aware you'd said anything about his mother." Sasuke stuck his hands in his pockets and leaned back against a tree. Naruto almost burst with laughter.

"Sasuke...he thinks _you're_ his mother."

Sasuke jolted forwards, staggering for balance. "Wh-what?"

"He says you've been feeding him and teaching him to survive, but he doesn't understand why you won't share your bed with him. He wonders if he's been a bad son or something worthy of punishment." He pulled a face. "Man, this little furball really thinks you're something!"

"Tell him I'm not his mother. Tell him I'm his partner."

"Fox doesn't have a word for 'partner,'" Naruto replied. "Foxes work alone unless they're mated. The closest word to what you're looking to say to him is 'brother,' but I don't think he'll think of you as that." He set Hikitsuko down, and the fox scampered back to Sasuke's side. "I could tell him to call you 'Master' if that works." The boy crouched down and picked him up, nodding. The fox started barking and panting again.

"Translation, Naruto?"

"He wants to know why you aren't changing into the girl fox again," Naruto interpreted. He gave Sasuke a strange look. "Why would you do that? Is there something I should know about?" He squinted at Sasuke.

"It's a long, long story, and I won't tell you," Sasuke told him curtly. Hikitsuko stuck out his tongue at Naruto and said something in fox language. Naruto blinked, then burst out laughing. "What? What's so funny?"

"He...he...He says he wants to know if you're a _kitsune_ because you change turn from a human into a fox!" He straightened up. "He says also that he knows a fox who knows a fox who has a friend whose uncle's cousin's mate's best friend knew a _kitsune_. God, foxes are gossipy, aren't they?"

Sasuke was not impressed.

"I think we've done as much as we can do today," he said plainly. "Thank you for breaking up the monotony of training for us." He turned around. "Oh, and Naruto...before I forget..."

"Yeah?"

"Don't tell Sakura. She won't give me a minute's peace if she finds out I have a baby animal with me."

"All right. See you tomorrow, Sasuke. School 'n' all that."

The two boys parted. Sasuke studied Hikitsuko carefully. He could almost hear Sakura's squeal: _Ooh! Sasuke-kun!! He's so cute! Let me hold him!_ He grimaced in disgust. It would be hard enough to put up with Haruno Sakura for any reason, but to have to defend Hikitsuko against her? That would be too much!

;-:-;-:-;

"I can't take you with me back to school tomorrow," Sasuke said, pausing in his dinner to speak to Hikitsuko. "So I'm leaving you here for the morning. I'll leave out food and everything you'll need, so you should be fine."

The fox kit lifted his head and whined pitifully. Sasuke closed his eyes. "No. You're not going to sway me with tears. Just sleep through the day. I'm not leaving you forever. I'll be back before you know it."

Hikitsuko frowned at him before darting off. He returned a few minutes later with a knotty piece of rope. Sasuke studied the toy, nodding. "All right," he conceded. "If it makes you feel any better, we'll play before bed tonight." Hikitsuko pranced excitedly, the rope flopping behind him like a frayed, brown tail. Sasuke shook his head and mumbled into his food, "This fox will drive me mad..."

He finished eating and set his bowl down on the counter. "All right," he said, taking a hold of the brown rope, "your move." Hikitsuko brightened up and tugged back on the rope. Sasuke shifted position so that he was kneeling on the floor in front of the fox cub. He shook the rope, causing Hikitsuko to growl and yank his head from side to side. A faint smile flickered across his lips as he pulled back hard. The fox tumbled head over tail into his lap with a startled yip. Sasuke let out a short laugh, scratching behind the fuzzy ears. "One more try?"

Hikitsuko scrambled to his paws and took the rope in his teeth again. Sasuke tugged, and the fox strained back on his heels. He gave a muffled bark and tried to pull Sasuke over his shoulder. The boy laughed again. "You're mental, fox. I weigh too much more than you for something like that to work." The look in Hikitsuko's black eyes said he would certainly try. The Uchiha boy couldn't help feeling a little flicker of admiration towards the bold young animal. Once he was trained up, he would make a great partner.

The game of tug-o'-war continued for almost an hour more before Hikitsuko was completely worn out and Sasuke's playful mood had left him. He scooped up the tired fox gently and carried him to bed. Surprisingly, Hikitsuko did not protest at being set down on his towel. He merely closed his eyes and fell asleep.

_That worked well,_ Sasuke thought as he changed into his pajamas. _I should do this in the future. Just like any little kid, he's got endless energy...endless energy that is easily expended._ A smile flitted across his face briefly as he climbed into bed. _He's a lot more tolerable when he's sleeping._

Sasuke wasn't as tired as his fox friend, so he sat up in bed to read for a while. Every so often his eyes would leave the page and shift down to the snoozing fox. Sleek, orange flanks drifted up and down in the steady rhythm of gentle snores. Black paws twitched in dreams as Hikitsuko presumably chased something or another in his sleep. White flashed as the fox's tail twitched and jerked. The boy smiled. He forgot the book and sat watching the sleeping kit until finally, sleep knocked at his door. He closed the book, put it on his nightstand, and turned off the light.


	3. Chapter 3

**Wow! I didn't expect this story to go over like this:D Thanks for all those who review!! Ruthie loves you! Thanks for being so gentle with my first Naruto fic, as well as my first slash.**

_Hikitsuko's POV_

Hikitsuko was still asleep when the Master left him. He slept blissfully on as the boy stumbled past his nest to get dressed and ready for school. He snored above the clatter of dishes being laid hastily on the floor of The Room Where Food Is. He dreamed unawares of the closing of the door. He never knew he was completely alone until he awoke nearly an hour later.

Bright, black eyes snapped open as silence like he had never heard before pressed down on his ears. The tiny fox sat bolt upright, icy cold fear pumping through his young body with every beat of his terrified heart. The Master was gone! Gone! Would he return? No one was around to tell Hikitsuko whether he would or not. A strangled yelp tore out of his throat. Alone! He tried to think. Yes...thinking was good. Had the Master said anything to him to explain this sudden absence?

The young fox furrowed his brow in thought. He tried to remember what the Master had said to him last night. Something about leaving him here tomorrow, which was today, but...why? Something...something with...skool, was it? What kind of a place was that? Hadn't The Boy Who Smelled Like Fox said something about seeing the Master at this skool place? He had! That must be where he was, then. And if the Master was with The Boy Who Smelled Like Fox, then he was safe. Hikitsuko remembered the smell of a powerful fox coming from that boy. He would protect the Master.

So the Master was safe. Hikitsuko was relieved. He hadn't known the Master for very long, but already he was attached to him. He wanted to be perfectly sure that the Master was safe wherever he went. The fox rose to his paws, looking around the room.

The Master was gone. He'd left the den to seek out skool with The Boy Who Smelled Like Fox, and would be back in the afternoon. Well, if the Master was gone, that left Hikitsuko in charge of keeping the den safe and tidy. The skinny tod swelled with pride and authority. _He_ had been entrusted with a special duty by the Master: patrolling the den. Scrabbling for purchase in the soft folds of his bedding, Hikitsuko staggered out of The Room Where The Master Slept and down the stairs. He slipped on the way down, tumbling down the last few steps to land painfully on his nose. He lifted his stinging muzzle and whimpered, only to remember that the Master wasn't there to hear him cry.

_I'm on my own here, _he reminded himself firmly as he rubbed his sore nose tenderly. _The Master is trusting me to be grown-up and guard his den while he finds skool with The Boy Who Smelled Like Fox. I can't let him down. _

Treading lightly, Hikitsuko made his way down to The Room Where Food Is. Along the way he pounced on a few very menacing shadows. A few quick nips and some smacks with his paws—that taught them not to come messing around the Master's den! He came skidding and panting into The Room Where Food Is, his barking laughter filling the air with the sounds of joy and excitement. His stomach rumbled as if to break his happy mood. Hikitsuko scowled. Hunger was never a fun thing. He sniffed the air, wondering if the Master had left him food to tide him over while he made the journey to skool.

A dish lay in its usual place, filled with fried rice. Hikitsuko sniffed airily, thoroughly enjoying himself. He liked the way this kind of food smelled. He was just about to take a bite of the still-warm food when a thought flicked in the back of his mind. Mentally, he gathered himself and tackled it to the ground. _The Master likes to challenge you,_ the thought told him. _Why would he present you with food so easily? He probably wants you to take the initiative and find it on your own!_

Now there was a clever idea. Hikitsuko backed away from the bowl, narrowing his eyes in mock suspicion. Yes...the Master liked to play games like this with him. He would make things smell alive to see if Hikitsuko was capable of defending him. He made the fox beg and manipulate him to get at the good food. The rice in the dish was good food, no doubt about that, but the Master probably had _better _food lying in wait. It was all a game, a grand game thought up by the Master to keep his wits sharp. Oh, yes...such a good game.

Hikitsuko set his sights on the counter where the Master often ate his food. Maybe it was hidden up there. The tiny fox backed up and charged at the counter. Luckily, it was fairly low, and tackling huge trash cans had made him a good jumper. He cleared the surface and looked around. There was no food-smell here, at least nothing he was interested in. Straining up onto his hindpaws, Hikitsuko scrabbled at the cabinets above him. He could smell food up in there. Maybe that was where the Master had hidden it away.

The doors of the cabinet swung open wide. The young tod gave a yip of satisfaction at the sight of the food contained therein. _There_ it was! He reached up with a forepaw and knocked down a jar of something. The glass jar bounced off the counter and onto the floor, where it shattered noisily. Hikitsuko bounded down after it, careful not to cut his paws on the slivers of glass on the floor. He sniffed the scattered contents, only to be disappointed. No, this wasn't it. This didn't smell like anything the Master had ever fed him. The fox kit hopped back up onto the counter. Maybe the food he was looking for was hidden behind other food.

Before it was all said and done, most of the food had been knocked from the cabinet. With each broken container, Hikitsuko sniffed hopefully, but he couldn't pick out the smell of any familiar food. His stomach was practically roaring with hunger. It was then that he thought of something. Maybe...maybe the Master..._hadn't_...been testing him after all. Maybe...maybe the rice in the bowl..._was_...his food. Feeling a little foolish, the fox crouched down in front of the bowl and ate his fill. Then he left the carnage of his folly sitting on the floor of The Room Where Food Is to roam the den.

;-:-;-:-;

The sun was up in the sky now. Hikitsuko could see it quite clearly, though he couldn't smell the freshness of the morning. Ice That Never Melts blocked the outside air from entering the den, but allowed him a clear view of the world. He sat in front of the strange Ice to watch the day spread out over his new territory.

After a while, he grew tired of watching morning arrive. Besides, the Master was counting on him to make sure the den stayed safe while he was out. But it was so hard and boring to guard something that wasn't in any danger. He yawned, a soft squeaking sound, and hopped down from the windowsill. He hadn't been living in this den for very long...he should at the very least know what he was protecting for the Master.

His paws led him down a corridor. Hikitsuko glanced up and focused his gaze on a box lying on a low table. Curious, he nudged one of the table's legs. The box rattled enticingly. The young fox reared up on his hind paws and shoved the table hard. The box fell with an earsplitting clatter. Iron Flowers and Iron Thorns sprayed in all directions. Hikitsuko yelped in terror and fled, fur on end. He skidded to a halt and stood panting, eyes wide, pelt fluffed up in fear. A soft whimper forced its way out of him. The Master wasn't going to like that.

Come to think of it, he probably wasn't going to like what had taken place in The Room Where Food Is.

Tentatively, he reached out a black paw and prodded an Iron Flower. The gleaming metal edge flashed in the midmorning light. Instinct forced him away. Nothing in nature had that kind of shine, at least, nothing that was safe. Hikitsuko turned instead to an Iron Thorn nearby. He amused himself by sending it sliding across the floor with deft sweeps of his paws. It was a somewhat amusing activity, but it was too simple. The fox kit had a quick, clever mind, and this game was too easy for him. He needed more of a challenge.

With a flick of his white-tipped tail, Hikitsuko shot down the hallway in search of something more worth his while. He bolted up the staircase to The Room Where There Is Water. A swim would be nice. Ever since the Master showed him how to keep his head above water, he'd been waiting for a chance to swim again. He burst into the room and sniffed the air expectantly. Maybe the Master had noticed his newfound love of water and had filled the pool for him. He caught the faintest trace of water and linked it to the small splashes on the sleek floor. So the Master hadn't given him a place to swim. Come to think of it, even if he had, there was no way Hikitsuko could have gotten into the pool himself.

Just as he was leaving, the fox noticed something white by the wall. Curious as ever, he trotted over to investigate. It seemed to be a roll of something...He swatted it with a paw, and the roll unraveled a little, laying out the white stuff on the floor in a soft huddle. Amused, Hikitsuko reared up on his hind paws and battered it again and again. He continued his game until, with a dying rattle, the last of the white fell onto the floor. Feeling a little disappointed, the young tod left the room.

The Room Where The Master Slept seemed like a good place to go for now. But before he did...The tiny fox bounded down the stairs and grasped an Iron Thorn in his teeth. He decided to make it into his own personal plaything, a special toy that both he and the Master could appreciate. The Master had to like Iron Thorns; he had so very many of them. Hikitsuko smiled a foxy smile at the thought of the Master tugging on one end of the Iron Thorn while he, Hikitsuko, growled and pulled on the other end. As he toted his new treasure up the stairs, the sharp tip made a groove into the wall beside them.

Sighing contentedly, the tiny fox kit settled himself down for a short nap. Just a little one, because he wanted to be awake and ready to play with the Iron Thorn when the Master came back from his journey to skool. He rested one front paw on the Iron Thorn and curled the other under his chest. His tired black eyes fell shut, and soon he was snoring softly.

;-:-;-:-;

Hikitsuko awoke later in the afternoon feeling perky and refreshed. He hopped out of his nest and scrambled down the stairs with his Iron Thorn. He decided to carry it around until the Master got back. He didn't know the den too well, and was afraid he would put it down somewhere and lose it. The metal thing was heavy, though, and soon the tip was screeching along the floor behind him as he half-dragged it beside him.

What to do now? The Master would return from his skool quest at sunset, and there was still time before then. Hikitsuko knew there couldn't be much more to the Master's den than what he had already seen. He put his Iron Thorn back in The Room Where Food Is and made his way back to where he had first found it. The metal objects still lay scattered about, gleaming in the light of the afternoon sun. Hikitsuko was used to the unnaturally shiny edges of the Iron Flowers' petals now, and he decided on a great game.

He could see that the reflected light made very interesting patterns on the ceiling of the den. He could push them around to make a good pattern and impress the Master. Hesitantly at first, he poked a few of the gleaming Flowers around, then stepped back to study the effects. Soon, however, he forgot all about making patterns on the ceiling and was scattering them with his paws just for the sheer joy of making a complete mess of things.

He was fairly involved in his game when a soft clicking sound reached his ears. The wood that blocked the entrance of the den was being opened. "Hikitsuko! I'm back!"

Uh-oh…

Hikitsuko's ears lowered shamefully as he walked from room to room to greet the Master at the entrance of the den. Down the hallway where Iron Thorns and Iron Flowers lay helter-skelter. Through The Room Where Food Is, where glass still littered the floor, mixed with food that would have to be thrown away. Past his bowl, where the Iron Thorn, its tip now dulled from scratching across everything in its path, leaned. Down the longest hallway he'd ever walked, towards the Master's voice.

As he crouched there, he felt like cornered prey awaiting the killing bite. Fear pounded through his veins like freezing water, making his whole body go numb. The Master said nothing as he gazed at the total destruction. The silence stretched out for lifetimes. Finally, the Master knelt down in front of Hikitsuko. His hand reached out. The fox kit flinched slightly, expecting some sort of blow or harsh words. He whimpered quietly and prepared himself for punishment.

The Master laughed softly and stroked behind Hikitsuko's dark ears gently. The hand moved down to smooth the fear-pricked fur on the back of his neck. "How can I stay mad at you?" he asked in the gentlest of murmurs.


	4. Chapter 4

_Sasuke's POV_

It had taken Sasuke most of the night to pick up after Hikitsuko's madcap fun. Needless to say, he was not in the best of moods when he awoke the next morning, having gotten very little sleep. He sighed over breakfast. It was painfully obvious to him now that Hikitsuko could not be left alone while he was at school. The only option he could think of was to take the fox with him. It seemed like a fairly good idea until he realized he'd forgotten two things: Haruno Sakura and Yamanaka Ino.

He needed some sort of plan, some way to smuggle Hikitsuko into school with him without either of the two girls knowing about it. He contemplated bringing along a pack with him and hiding his fox inside. But that wouldn't work. Hikitsuko would probably get scared and make a racket. How could he make sure that the fox kit understood the need for silence?

That was how Uchiha Sasuke found himself knocking on the door of one Uzumaki Naruto's home.

The blonde boy appeared, rubbing his eyes sleepily. "Thanks for the wake-up call, Sasuke," he mumbled, "but I'm already awake..." As he spoke, he yanked the comical nightcap off his head and tried to hide it behind his back. Sasuke rolled his eyes. Yeah...he was _definitely _awake.

"Look, Naruto, I was up all night cleaning up after Hikitsuko," he hissed. "I'm not leaving him home alone again after all that. I need your help getting him to school with me."

"Whaddya want me to do 'bout it...?" Naruto yawned.

"I need you to tell him that he can't make a single sound."

Naruto opened one sleep-glassy eye and yawned. "All right. Where were you planning on hiding him?" Sasuke held up the bag. Naruto opened the other eye, then shook his head. "You don't want him in there. He'd get pretty roughed up, no matter how careful you were with it."

"What do you suggest, then?"

"Tuck in your shirt. I'll slip him in the collar and tell him to sleep through the day."

Sasuke took a step away from the other boy, holding Hikitsuko off to the side as if to keep him out of Naruto's grasp. His dark eyes narrowed suspiciously. "No. I draw the line at hiding him in my clothes," he shot back angrily. Naruto blinked and leaned on the doorframe.

"Well, it's either that or home alone," he replied. "Take your pick, Sasuke."

Sasuke lifted Hikitsuko up to study him closely. The fox kit was half-asleep, his black eyes just as glassy as Naruto's. He was still fairly skinny, although his backbone no longer poked up like the teeth of a comb. He could stretch himself out and sleep. _And if he did that, I wouldn't have to look pregnant._ "Fine." He handed the fox to Naruto. "Tell him not to curl up when he sleeps."

Naruto gave himself a brisk shake and nodded. He took the fox and began to bark and growl. Hikitsuko picked up his head and listened intently. Finally, he nodded. Sasuke tucked his shirt into his shorts, and Naruto slipped Hikitsuko down through the high collar of his shirt. The Uchiha boy studied himself. "Great. You can barely see he's in there. Although, I think people will notice I've tucked my shirt in."

"They'll just tell you it looks nice," Naruto said.

"Oh, does that mean I don't always look 'nice'?" Sasuke asked, surprising himself by the gentle sarcasm in his voice. He hadn't expected himself to sound so...friendly. Naruto hardly seemed to notice as he smirked.

"What if I am?" He whipped around and darted back into the door of his house. Hikitsuko poked his head and paws up out of Sasuke's collar curiously. Sasuke tapped his foot impatiently. Naruto reappeared a few moments later, fully dressed and ready to go. With a cry of "Race ya!", he bolted in the direction of the academy. Pushing the fox kit's muzzle back down his shirt, Sasuke followed at a more reasonable pace.

;-:-;-:-;

"Iruka-sensei!" Naruto shouted as he shoved the door aside and burst into the classroom. "Sorry I'm late!" He looked around just as Sasuke walked up behind him. The room was full of boys and girls, yes, but none of them were familiar. Every eye turned to stare. Whispers broke out.

"Isn't that that Uzumaki kid?"

"Heard he's a real screw-up."

"Kinda cute, though."

"That's Sasuke, isn't it? Behind him? The last of the Uchiha Clan?"

"Must be."

The blonde boy stood openmouthed at the door for a while before backing out slowly and awkwardly. Sasuke chuckled wryly as he slid the door shut once more.

_"Smooooth,"_ he murmured sarcastically. Naruto growled at him, running his fingers angrily through his spiky hair in frustration. Hikitsuko ventured a black paw up, which Sasuke quickly put back down below. "Oh, you're in the _zone_ today, aren't you, Naruto? That's only the second classroom you've busted into since we got here. Are you game for one more try, or should I navigate for now?"

"Shut up, Sasuke!"

"It's your fault for not memorizing the room number we're in."

"I'm dyslexic, I swear!"

"I can understand if our intended destination is numbered 121 and you choose 112, but not even the worst of dyslexics can confuse numbers like you have been." He scratched absently behind Hikitsuko's dark ear before pushing his head back down. "And didn't you tell him to stay hidden?"

"I did, but that doesn't mean he'll listen to me."

Sasuke sighed. "Look, we're late now. About twenty minutes late. Any later than this and I'll pound you into the ground. Now, would you kindly fire two brain cells in the same direction and make reasonable decisions?"

"If you're so sure of where we're going, why don't _you_ make 'reasonable decisions'?" Naruto demanded hotly. Hiding a smirk, Sasuke pointed to a door close by. Naruto flung himself at it. "Iruka-sensei! I'm—!" There was a brief silence, and a furious Uzumaki slammed the door shut and whirled on Sasuke. "YOU DID THAT ON PURPOSE!!"

"All right. I admit. I did." Sasuke grinned. It was nice to manipulate people sometimes. Especially if the person being manipulated was a senseless, obnoxious loudmouth. "I had to have _some_ kind of fun. How often do I get to walk to school with someone like you?"

"I'm never walking with you as long as I live."

"Good." Sasuke selected the appropriate door and stepped inside before Naruto. Without a word to Iruka, he made his way up to the bleacher-like seats and sat down.

"Ah, Sasuke!" the man sighed, throwing up an arm in a welcoming gesture. "Good to see you finally made it. Thank you for pulling Naruto out of bed this morning." Sasuke nodded silently and folded his hands under his chin to watch the lesson. Grumbling under his breath, Naruto flopped down in a seat nearby.

Iruka turned back around and started sketching figures on the board to accent his lesson. Sasuke heard a whispered _"Psst!"_ behind him and turned his head slightly. "Sasuke-kun!" Sakura hissed, grinned and waving discreetly. "Hey! I was worried you weren't going to come! What made you so late?" Without waiting for an answer, she glared down at the blonde head below. "It was Naruto, wasn't it? I bet he made you stop for ramen on the way here, didn't he?"

Sasuke didn't answer. Naruto hadn't made the stop for ramen. On the contrary, he had shot past the Ramen Bar without a second glance. No, it had actually been Sasuke's fault that they were late. While Naruto had resisted the ramen, Hikitsuko could not, and leapt from Sasuke's shirt towards the scent of food. The tiny fox's escapade seemed to have tired him out, though. Sasuke felt rather than heard him heave a tired sigh and settle in on a gentle pattern of breathing.

He found it hard to focus on what Iruka was saying. Between Sakura and Ino pestering him with whispered questions, Hikitsuko's sleepy breathing, and the unaccustomed feeling of fur against his skin, he couldn't pay attention to the lecture. He was glad when a break was called for lunch. If he chose a secluded corner, one where no one else would see him, he might be able to slip Hikitsuko something to eat.

;-:-;-:-;

"Is anyone looking?"

"Nope. Coast is clear."

"Great."

Sasuke reached down the front of his shirt and produced the bright-eyed fox kit. Hikitsuko wriggled around, tongue trying to slurp at the boy holding onto him, eyes flicking left and right, ears twitching at every sound. Sasuke set him down on the ground, pressing a firm hand down on his back to keep him there while he one-handedly pulled a sandwich from his bag. Naruto helped him tug a bit of the somewhat warm lunchmeat out from between the bread, which he then fed to Hikitsuko. "The little furball woke up right near the end and started squirming around," Sasuke muttered darkly as he watched the fox tear his food apart. "It's a wonder Sakura and Ino didn't notice. I bet you could see him through my shirt."

"Oh, let him be, Sasuke," Naruto replied breezily. "He's still young. Let him be unpredictable and crazy while he can. He'll grow out of it soon enough."

"Not soon enough for me," Sasuke muttered. He waited until Hikitsuko had finished eating before slipping the fox back into his shirt. Just in time, too. Right as he was taking his hand away from his collar, a familiar voice asked, "Hey, Sasuke! Little help?"

Sasuke turned towards the speaker. Inuzuka Kiba, his tousled brown hair shifting in a slight breeze, had a paper in one hand, obviously his notes. Kiba, Sasuke knew, ranked fairly low in the class. Perched atop his head was his _ninken_, Akamaru. "What do you need, Kiba?"

"All right..._What_ exactly was all that about? That whole lecture? I didn't catch a single word of it."

"Sleeping through class _again_, Kiba?" Naruto asked. Kiba's black eyes narrowed angrily.

"Oh, like you're any better, Uzumaki?" he shot back. "You're not exactly Iruka-sensei's favorite student either."

"Enough, enough." Sasuke put himself between the two boys. "Kiba, I can't help you. I wasn't paying too much attention, either. I'm tired today...I was about ready to fall asleep myself. Check around, see if anyone caught what you missed."

Kiba, looking distinctly disappointed, turned to leave. Just as he turned, Akamaru hopped down onto his shoulder and gave Sasuke a suspicious sniff. His brown lips curled back angrily as he let off a salvo of sharp barks, some directed at Kiba, others at Sasuke. Kiba turned, studied Sasuke carefully, then said, "Akamaru says you smell like fox. And not like you stopped to pet it on the way to school. He says it's so strong, the fox must have been sleeping on your clothes."

Before Sasuke could open his mouth to answer, Naruto butted in. "It must have been from me. He was studying with me last night...you probably know what I'm getting at, don't you?"

Kiba looked the pair of them over for a while, then glanced over at Akamaru. The tawny pup grunted and barked a few more times. The Inuzuka boy nodded. Naruto glanced at Sasuke almost nervously. They waited on edge until Kiba turned and started to walk away. Just as he did, and at the same time Sasuke and Naruto were heaving sighs of relief, Akamaru whipped around and snarled. He bared his sharp white teeth in a scowl of suspicion. Kiba may have accepted Naruto's excuse, but Akamaru had too good a nose for that.

"Sometimes I wonder if it's going to be worth it," Sasuke murmured after Kiba was out of hearing. "Sometimes I wonder if this fox is just going drive me mad and be completely useless to me." He sighed. "But then...then I just look at him...and see that unconditional love and admiration in his little eyes. And it's then that I stop wondering."

"I'm glad." Naruto's response caught him off guard. Sasuke jerked his head sharply to get a better look at the boy standing beside him. "He really thinks a lot of you, Sasuke—Hikitsuko, I mean. You might not think so, but you're really doing a lot of good for him." He smiled slightly. "I think it'll work out between the two of you. Something tells me you could do more with Hikitsuko than Kiba ever could with Akamaru."

Sasuke couldn't help returning the grin. He leaned back against the tree and took a bite from his sandwich. It was a beautiful day in Konoha, with a light wind just strong enough to keep the sun from being too hot. Spring was in full burst, just waiting to give way to summer. The last of the Uchiha clan felt the gentle tickle of Hikitsuko's kit-soft fur brush against his chest as the skinny fox tried to make himself comfortable. Beside him, Naruto started in on a bowl of (_What else?_ he wondered) ramen noodles. All in all, it was peaceful. At that moment, it seemed to Sasuke that nothing could go wrong, that his world was right...He glanced down at Naruto, feeling a sudden burst of friendship towards the blonde youth. And in part, it was all thanks to the ultimate troublemaker of the Hidden Leaf Village.

**By the way, Kiba (MINE!!!)'s appearance wasn't entirely random. I have something planned for him. I'll just warn all you Kiba lovers out there that he is a real jerk in this fic. However, I know that's not the real Kiba, so no flames later!**


	5. Chapter 5

**I can't say I wasn't expecting this to happen. My complete non-knowlege of the Naru-verse has dropped me into a black hole. For those who have seen every episode twice in Japanese, English, and Finnish (there are probably people out there that obsessed), you'll just have to grit your teeth and bear my ignorance. In other words, this story is so AU that it doesn't even follow the actual rules of the Naruto series.**

**After talking with my friend Hayley, I was able to see just how...well, un-canonical my story would be before I finished writing it. Well, I can't possibly make it follow the series completely. So, bear with me and don't give me flames with "THAT'Z NaWT H0W T3H S3RI3Z GOEZ!11!!!" I know it's not. I would also appreciate if you didn't tell me how the series goes. Thanks! Enjoy the fic! --Ruthie **

**Oh, and as a PS, Hikory, this isn't directed at you. ;D I already talked with you, so this isn't badmouthing you at all. This is just for the future, in case anyone decides to flame me because this story is going to be so AU.**

Well, he couldn't say smuggling Hikitsuko into school with him hadn't been interesting. Every day had been an adventure, with the fox causing new trouble each day. Naruto assured Sasuke after each mishap that it was only accidental and Hikitsuko was just getting adjusted to his new life. Sasuke found this much easier to believe on some days than others.

On Tuesday, while sleeping, Hikitsuko had started to dream. For reasons unknown to Sasuke, he had flicked his tail and little paws all over the boy's ribs. Sasuke had been forced to bite his lip the whole day to keep from laughing out loud. He knew that his discomfort had not gone unnoticed by his classmates. The boy sitting behind him had asked him if something was worrying him, saying Sasuke had been very twitchy the whole class.

On Wednesday, Sasuke got a rather rude reminder of his secret "seat-mate." Hikitsuko, under the influence of dreams, had given Sasuke a rather sharp, jolting kick to the stomach. The accidental strike had hit his diaphragm, causing him to let out a choking cough and have trouble breathing for the next few minutes. Everyone had turned at the sudden noise to stare curiously at Sasuke. The Uchiha boy refused any offers of help, claiming he had merely tried to breathe in some spit and would be perfectly fine.

On Thursday, Hikitsuko couldn't sleep, try as he might. Without sleep to occupy his mind, he had turned to Sasuke for entertainment. Secretly, Sasuke dropped slips of paper down his collar, hoping to give the fox something to play with. No one noticed the soft crinkling sounds of looseleaf being crunched between fox paws, or, surprisingly, when Hikitsuko tossed a piece up to catch, only to launch it out of Sasuke's shirt like a cannonball.

Friday had been, by far, the worst day of the lot, so far as the danger of the fox kit being revealed went. When he got up to go to the bathroom, Sasuke forgot the Hikitsuko was cradled in his loosely-tucked shirt. The fox was awakened by this movement and thought the class was over. He stumbled to his feet without thinking and slipped down into Sasuke's shorts. He managed to grasp the waistband of Sasuke's underwear to keep from falling onto the floor. Sasuke felt the awkward tug and prayed over and over that the fox would have the presence of mind to keep his tail from dangling down. Even Aburame Shino, with his dark glasses, would have seen the flash of sunset red. Thankfully, Sasuke managed to make his way to the bathroom and rescue his fox friend without anyone noticing anything out of the ordinary.

To keep anyone from even accidentally seeing Hikitsuko, Sasuke left the fox in his shirt until he walked through the door of his house. Usually, at this point, the kit would pop his head up and peek around. Then he would look up, lick Sasuke's chin, and gaze at him as if to say _That was fun, wasn't it?_

Oh yes, it had been _fun_.

;-:-;-:-;

"AAAAAACK!!"

"Good morning to you, too, Sasuke," Hatake Kakashi murmured cooly in response to Sasuke's startled outcry. The boy sat up, rubbing his backside tenderly as Hikitsuko let off a shrill volley of yaps. Sasuke looked up out of one narrowed eye, a little angry at being roused from bed so suddenly and rudely. "Who's your little friend?"

"That's, uh...well, his name's Hikitsuko," Sasuke replied, studying his sensei with both eyes open now. "Any...particular reason you decided to drop by this morning? Did you want me to cook you breakfast or something like that?"

"Get back in bed and wake up on the right side, why don't you?" Kakashi asked with a tinge of amusement. "I came by to see the newest member of Team 7."

"Naruto told you, didn't he?" Sasuke heaved himself to his feet and grabbed the still-yipping Hikitsuko from the floor. He scratched behind the fox's ears to calm him. Hikitsuko relaxed, but only briefly. Before long he was squirming and wriggling. Sasuke set him down on the floor again, and the tiny fox sniffed Kakashi's foot in curiosity.

"Oh, no. I figured it out on my own. You see—" The jonin pulled something from Sasuke's nightclothes. "—you've got hairs on your clothes, animal hairs. I figured it had to be something that you could find either in or around Konoha; judging by the color of the hairs, it would have to be either a cat or a fox. Also—" Here, he held up a finger "—it seems you've lost a bit of respect. Anyone with eyes could have seen that Kiba's pup, Akamaru, hasn't come within two feet of you without snarling and snapping his fangs."

"And that left it as either a cat or a fox," Sasuke told him. "So how'd you guess it was a fox?"

Kakashi smiled. At least, as far as Sasuke could tell. He'd learned to read what his sensei's mouth was doing just by looking at his eye. "I didn't," he said simply. "I didn't guess one way or the other. I just invited myself over to see for myself."

Hikitsuko, throughout the conversation, had done a thorough investigation of Kakashi's left foot. He had sniffed it, prodded it, looked at it from near and far, tried to entice it to play with him, and even gone so far as to lick it (which was something he resolved never to do again). Psychologically, he was still at the oral stage, in which everything new must be put into the mouth for further investigation. He opened his jaws as wide as they could and tried from various angles to bite Kakashi's shoe. After a few minutes, he claimed defeat and backed off. Who wanted to nibble something that smelled like dirt, anyway?

Sasuke reached down just as Hikitsuko stepped back and held the fox to his chest. "Stay," he muttered, and Hikitsuko's struggles slowed somewhat. "So, really," he began, speaking to Kakashi, "I picked him up because I wanted to try having him as a fighting partner. Like...well, like Akamaru." He sighed. "Would it work?"

"Possibly."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, it would be a little difficult for you to pull off."

"I could train him!"

"It's not that. Well, not entirely that. It goes a little deeper than that, Sasuke. You're an Uchiha, and there are no records of the Uchiha clan fighting with anything other than themselves. You'd have trouble convincing people that you could fight in synchrony with Hikitsuko."

"Would they allow it?"

"I don't see why they wouldn't." Kakashi shrugged. "I'm sure that if you could train him, you could fight with him. I'll see if there's any paperwork involved and get back to you later today." Again, he smiled with his eye. Sasuke couldn't help smiling back. It wasn't a goofy, all-out grin that he'd seen so many times on Naruto's face. Really, it was more like a smirk, with only half the mouth involved. It was a smile that suited him—a little happy, but mostly serious. He waited until Kakashi was gone before looking down at his little fox.

"Hikitsuko, we've got a lot of work to do."

;-:-;-:-;

At Sasuke's signal, Hikitsuko darted ahead, his black paws skimming the ground, and hurled his skinny body at the wooden post. He bared his needle-sharp fangs and started nipping and slashing at the dummy. After a few seconds of assault, he skipped back nimbly and made the leap onto the crouching Sasuke's shoulder. He slipped a little as the Uchiha boy stood, but kept his perch, teeth still bared.

"Good job!" Sasuke praised, scooping the fox kit off his shoulder to give him a quick hug and a ruffle behind the ears. Hikitsuko yipped happily, wiggling around in the embrace as his pink tongue flashed out again and again. "You're really coming along, Hikitsuko!"

Hikitsuko braced his forepaws against Sasuke's chest and licked the boy's chin. He barked a few times. Sasuke turned again to Naruto, as he had done all morning. "Translation?" he asked.

"He says it's all thanks to you," Naruto replied. He was crouched like a cat on the branch of a tree, watching the training session and translating Hikitsuko's words. The glossy-furred fox barked again. "Oh, and he says he's hungry, and that ramen sounds like a good idea for lunch."

"_You _said that, or _he _said that?" Sasuke asked, smirking slightly. Naruto laughed.

"Okay, okay. _I_ said that, but he actually did say it's time for a lunch break."

"I don't think just yet. It's barely noon. A few more hours and then we'll break for lunch, Naruto."

Naruto groaned and rolled off the branch. He lay spread-eagle on the ground and gazed pleadingly up at Sasuke. "No fai-hair-hair!" he complained, whimpering like a struck dog. "Translating Fox is hungry work, you know. C'm_on_, Sasuke! Pleeeeease?" He clasped both hands in front of him.

"Act your age, not your shoe size."

"My age _is_ my shoe size!"

"Then act it. No lunch breaks just yet." Hikitsuko wormed his way out of the gentle grasp and dropped down. All four paws landed squarely on Naruto's stomach, causing the Uzumaki boy to let out a whooshing stream of air in a breathless _"Oof!"_ The fox grinned cheekily before bounding back to Sasuke. The boy crouched down, and Hikitsuko hopped back onto his shoulder. Naruto looked up into two face, one human, one vulpine, smiling the same smile at him with the same look in their dark eyes.

"God, Sasuke, he looks just like you!" Naruto muttered, pushing himself up gingerly and rubbing his sore stomach. Sasuke and Hikitsuko turned as if on cue to study each other. "Just look at him, grinning like he's all that. You've got the same superiority complex to boot!"

" 'Superiority complex'?" Sasuke repeated. He pushed Naruto back down with a foot and pushed gently on the boy's belly. Naruto let out a second gasp. "I'm offended, Naruto. I thought you were better than that." He stepped back to let his teammate up. "Fine, I'll break. Give me a few more tries, then we'll get lunch, but _no ramen!_"

"What?"

"You heard me. There's more to life than Cup Ramen."

"Sure. There's the Ichiraku Ramen Bar, Maruchan Ramen..."

"You didn't understand me. I meant there's more to life than ramen noodles, period, the end." Naruto looked like he was ready to protest. "If you want, we can just keep training without a lunch break. I need to get everything with Hikitsuko perfect. I don't want any screw-ups, you hear me? Iruka-sensei likes to spring things on us. So does Kakashi-sensei."

"Not a noodle?"

"Nope. Not even a drop of the broth. Come on, Naruto, I want to be as coordinated with Hikitsuko as Kiba is with Akamaru."

Naruto sighed and jumped back onto the tree limb. "Fine," he relented. "But the next time we train like this, _I_ get to pick what we have for lunch, okay? Besides, Hikitsuko likes ramen, too. It's not just me."

Sasuke only half heard him as he focused back on the wood post. "Ready?" he whispered into the fox's dark ear. "Wait for it...on my signal..." He felt Hikitsuko's wiry muscles tense against his neck. The Uchiha boy turned slightly to the side and flung out his arm. That was Hikitsuko's signal. The young tod sprinted down the length of the boy's arm and leapt off towards the dummy. Again, he attacked it like he would a foe. Sasuke watched for a few minutes before whistling sharply. The skinny fox kit sprang backwards and darted to Sasuke. He bounced back onto the boy's shoulder and managed to hold his perch without sliding when Sasuke got back to his feet.

"Another perfect strike!" Sasuke cheered. "All right, I think that's enough of that for today. Now we get to do something a little less physical." He nodded to Naruto and held Hikitsuko in front of him. The fox squirmed briefly, but after a while realized how tired he was, and settled down. "Naruto, I'll need you for this part. I've already taught Hikitsuko how to smell for chakra, and he's done a good job of locating it and sensing how strong it is. What we need now is a way for him to warn me of just how strong it is."

"So you want me to work out some signals for you two to use?" Sasuke nodded. "All right. What kind of signal?"

"Probably something silent. Maybe he could prod me or something like that. However strong the chakra flow is determines how strong the poke would be."

"Let's see what we can do." Naruto took Hikitsuko and stared at the fox. He started barking and yipping. Hikitsuko pricked up his ears and listened intently, then nodded. Sasuke marveled at how quickly the fox had picked up on human mannerisms and expressions. He nodded, shook his head, smiled, pulled faces, and even (and Sasuke was sure it wasn't just a bark or a cough) laughed when things turned funny. He panted and waved his fluffy tail at Naruto. The boy returned the kit. "He says he'll use what you suggested and that he'll do his best to be accurate when he signals."

"That's good. Thank you." Naruto's blue eyes flashed something like surprise, and Sasuke wondered if he had ever thanked Naruto before. "What?"

"Nothing."

"Come on, Naruto. Let's go get something to eat. I'm a little hungry myself."

Hikitsuko perched himself back on Sasuke's shoulder and, until they reached the village streets, Sasuke let him stay there. The two boys started back together, saying little but every so often glancing at each other. Sasuke realized that he hadn't spent this much time with Naruto, even though they were on the same team, in a long time—maybe even never. He had never really thought of the blonde prankster as being a "friend" or anything remotely like that. And now, as he studied the playful youth, he realized that all that was changing. Because of Hikitsuko, he was starting to come to know Naruto better, and even respect him as a friend.


	6. Chapter 6

"It's not to say that you're not doing well," Iruka told the class one morning. "It's just that I've decided to go a little beyond the norm. I know that by now, most of you probably know a thing or two about special jitsu, so I'm going to test you on that. You'll be matched up randomly to spar with each other. Any questions?"

The class hummed like a hive of anxious bees as murmured conversations broke out everywhere. Sasuke's first thought was that the steadily crescendoing noise would wake Hikitsuko and scare him, but he quickly thought better. The fox kit was used to people talking back and forth by now. But still...matches? Sasuke raised his hand. "Uhmm..."

"Uchiha?"

"Yes. Isn't fighting usually reserved for the _chunin_ exams?" Sasuke asked. People stopped talking to look at him. Iruka nodded knowingly.

"Usually," he said.

"Ah," Sasuke breathed, nodding. Yes. _Usually. _That was the catch. Still, it was a little unusual. He exchanged glances with Naruto below him. The Uzumaki boy's face said plainly he couldn't find a reason to have fighting matches, but he wasn't going to protest.

Every day over the weekend, Sasuke had trained with Hikitsuko, using Naruto as a sort of translator. He had found himself starting to open up to the boy he had once thought of as being the ultimate screw-up. Now that they were back in school, he noticed that whenever little huddles of whispering broke out in class, he no longer closed his eyes and waited for Iruka to bring his students back together again. Instead, he started glancing reflexively over to Naruto, and usually found those blue eyes staring right back him. He didn't know why.

And now, as he found himself once again looking to Uzumaki Naruto in the tumult of the class, he wondered briefly how much Naruto knew about him. It wasn't hard to know all about Naruto. He had a tendency to blurt things out at the top of his lungs and didn't seem to know what it meant to say something "in a thought bubble." _Hope no one says anything to him,_ Sasuke thought, smiling behind his folded hands. _I can hear him now:"I'm gonna win and prove to everyone that I __**can**__ be the next Hokage!"_ He shook his head slightly in wonderment.

"Real drag, huh, Sasuke-kun?" Sakura murmured behind him. "It's not like we need to prove anything to him. I wonder who'll go up against who."

Sasuke gave his usual Sakura/Ino grunt.

"Of course, you're not going to have a problem, no matter _who_ you get matched up with, Sasuke-kun!" Sakura continued, oblivious to the fact that Sasuke was ignoring her with all his might. "I just hope I'm not up against anyone _too_ freakishly powerful. You know, keep it easy without being so simple a baby could do it."

_Just make it so simple a Sakura could do it,_ Sasuke thought dryly.

Iruka waited for the buzz of conversation to die down before he continued, "Tomorrow, we'll meet in the arena instead of here. Come prepared because the match-ups will be completely random, and you won't know for sure when you'll be up." He waited until comprehension appeared on the rows of faces before going on with the lecture he had planned for the day. Sasuke let his mind wander.

Now he was really glad that he had spent all those hours over the weekend drilling Hikitsuko on fighting tactics and setting up signs. If he was selected to fight tomorrow, he would need the fox kit's help. He was almost glad Iruka had sprung something like that on the class. It wasn't a graded exam. If his and Hikitsuko's tactics fell apart and he wound up losing the match, it wasn't like he would be held back. It was just a good excuse to practice with his new partner against an actual opponent. Leaning forward slightly to hide his hand, Sasuke felt around his belly for the furry bundle that was Hikitsuko and stroked the kit through his shirt. Hikitsuko stretched in his sleep and rolled towards the touch. Sasuke smiled faintly.

;-:-;-:-;

The next morning dawned overcast. Dull, pearly gray clouds hung heavily across the sun, dampening its brilliant rays. The result was very muted, and the air felt heavy as Sasuke walked to school with Naruto. The two boys had gone back on their former promise to never walk together again after a few days, and now made their way to the academy every morning. Hikitsuko poked his white muzzle out of the boy's high-collared shirt and sniffed the air hesitantly. Sasuke lifted the fox out and sat him on his shoulder for the walk.

It was amazing what a single week had done to Hikitsuko's condition. His thin, patchy pelt had thickened and become glossy as new ice. No longer did every bone stick out from his gangly frame; rather, he had become somewhat plump. He was no longer small enough to fit in the palm of one of Sasuke's hands, but he was not unusually large either. Hikitsuko was still a kit, but he was starting to grow. He had gone from a scrawny, flea-ridden, quivery alley beast to a muscular, sleek, strong fighting fox. The transformation was incredible.

"You know what I just realized, Sasuke?" Naruto asked. Sasuke cocked his head to the side. "Once you get your chance to fight, everyone will know about Hikitsuko! After all, Kakashi-sensei did say you had to register him when we got there. But once everyone knows about him, you don't have to hide him!"

Sasuke smiled. "You're right!" He ruffled Hikitsuko's ears fondly. "Thank God for that, too! He's getting so big these days, everyone will notice if he keeps hiding in my shirt." Hikitsuko licked his ear and barked. Sasuke, on the spur of the moment, rubbed his head against the fox's furry side in a brief show of affection.

"Look at the two of you," Naruto cooed sweetly. "Aww, awen't you just da cootest!" He squinted and stuck out his tongue. "Better hide that fox, Sasuke, coming right up on our destination here," he added seriously. Sasuke nodded and tugged at one side of his collar. In a whoosh of golden red and white, Hikitsuko's tail vanished down into Sasuke's shirt. The boy smoothed out the fabric, brushed off any stray fox hairs, and gave his head a quick shake to scatter black hair from his eyes.

"All right. I'm ready. Let's go."

The two of them started walking a little faster. Not running—Sasuke had made carefully sure that they would not be even a second late—but just walking quickly. By the time they had reached the arena, half the class had assembled, and there was still ten minutes for the last people to arrive. Uchiha Sasuke spotted Kakashi not far off and went over to him. "Are you ready?" the man asked. Sasuke nodded. "All right. Like I told you over the weekend, Hikitsuko just has to go through a few examinations and such, and you have to sign for him."

Kakashi led Sasuke over to a small table, where he signal for Sasuke to produce the fox kit. Sasuke set Hikitsuko down on the table, keeping a hand on his soft flank to keep him calm. Inuzuka Hana winked up at him. "Oh, he's a little cutie. What's his name?"

"Hikitsuko."

"Precious." Hana lifted Hikitsuko up to study him closely. She felt his paws; parted his fur with her fingers; pulled down his lips to observe his teeth; peered into his bright, dark eyes; then placed him back on the table when her examination was finished. "Don't tell me you picked him up off the streets or out of the woods. I won't believe you. He's too healthy for that."

"Oh, I did," Sasuke muttered as he scratched out a signature on the form. "He's practically doubled his size, too."

"You're lying!" Hana was smiling. Sasuke grinned back, shaking his head.

"Not at all. Why? Does he look that good?"

"He looks fantastic." Hana scanned the completed form before nodding and signing it herself. "All right. He's official. Good luck if you're fighting today, Sasuke! Although, if he's going to be helping you, I doubt you'll need it."

Sasuke nodded his thanks and slipped Hikitsuko back down into his shirt. "Keeping him a secret," he said as Hana gave him a curious look. "I'd never live it down if they saw him with me right now." Kakashi put a hand on Sasuke's shoulder.

"Our Sasuke has a bit of a stoic reputation," he explained, smiling with his eye again. Hana nodded, and the two of them left. "That wasn't so hard, was it?"

"Was that Kiba's sister?" Kakashi nodded. "Why was she there?"

"I told her you were going to be registering a fighting partner and asked if she could look him over for you. After all, she's an expert when it comes to small things like him." Sasuke nodded understandingly. "All right, Sasuke! Get a move on. Your class is about to start up. Don't want to be late!"

**I just want to say I find it very ironic that Sasuke is obsessed with being on time for a fighting match, when in fact, he was really, really late for his chunin exam. Which...I'm not entirely sure if that's happened yet. This is set kind of weirdly in time...I don't know for sure when this is happening. o.O**

When Sasuke stepped up between Naruto and Shino, the names on the screen were already spinning. The Uchiha youth watched intently, waiting on pins and needles for the first two combatants to be revealed. Beside him, he felt Naruto clench a fist and Shino shift from foot to foot. Words flickered and jumbled until finally...finally...

Inuzuka Kiba.

Kiba leapt into the air with a wild whoop. Akamaru yapped his agreement. Sasuke nodded. So that Inuzuka hothead would be up first. Fine. That worked out for him just fine. He wondered if he would watch Kiba get pounded by someone. That would be amusing to say the least. His heart gave a jarring, icy throb as the second name spun to a stop.

Uchiha Sasuke.

"Looks like our first match has been decided!" Iruka declared. "Inuzuka Kiba versus Uchiha Sasuke!"

Sasuke smiled with a mixture of excitement and plain shock. _He_ was going to be going head-to-head with Kiba in the first match? Kiba turned and looked at him. Sasuke shrugged and the smile left his face. As he walked down the stairs, he wondered what he should go with. Some kind of fire jitsu? His Sharingan eyes? If Kiba could do something to include Akamaru in his fight, Sasuke could copy it with Hikitsuko. That might work. His grin returned. He liked being forced to think on his feet. Hikitsuko stirred uncomfortably in his shirt.

The two youth stood firmly at opposite sides of the ring, staring each other down, waiting for the call to begin. Sasuke heard faint sniffing from inside his shirt and felt a paw jab him sharply in the ribs. Judging by the force of the signal, Kiba might be a little tricky. Sasuke nodded. "Go!" Iruka shouted.

Both boys twitched as the yell rang out through the silent building. Sasuke took a deep breath and was a little startled. He didn't realize he'd been holding it. By the time he recovered, Kiba was already preparing his attack.

"All right, Akamaru!" he called. "You go around one way, I'll come the other!" Akamaru nodded, growling in anticipation as he started towards Sasuke. The boy looked from side to side as his two opponents raced towards him. That wasn't something he could copy; it was just running. He was going to have to dodge—and fast—if he wanted to come out of that first clash unscathed. Gathering himself up for the leap, he sprang into the air and away from Kiba and Akamaru. The pair of them skidded to a halt, both growling at Sasuke.

"C'mon, Sasuke-kun!!" Sakura shrilled, waving her arms in the air.

"Yeah, Sasuke!" Naruto added. "You can beat him easy!"

"Don't let him get away from ya, Kib!" someone else cheered. "Corner him quick!"

Kiba winked up at his supporter and looked back down at Sasuke. The boy was gone. The Inuzuka youth snarled angrily under his breath and whipped his head around, trying to locate his opponent. He spotted Sasuke coming up from behind him and just barely bounded away on all fours as a stream of fire scorched the place where he had been. "You got lucky that time, Kiba!" Sasuke taunted. "But the next one won't miss!"

In truth, Sasuke was toying with his opponent, stalling until Kiba used some combination worth copying via Sharingan. He knew it had to be a matter of time until Kiba would try something with Akamaru. After all, Sasuke was sure Akamaru wasn't just used to trap opponents in the middle. There had to be something Kiba was withholding from him. Sasuke touched down neatly and waited. Kiba crouched down and the tawny puppy hopped onto his back. "Enough games," Kiba snarled. "Juujin Bunshin!!"

Sasuke focused on the blue glow of chakra coming from the two of them, trying to take it all in. He wanted to copy it perfectly, so he could use it later without a hitch. About halfway through the transformation, however, Hikitsuko leapt from Sasuke's shirt—breaking both Kiba and Sasuke's concentration. Akamaru started to growl low in his throat. Kiba stood up and started laughing his head off.

"Hah! I _knew_ you were hiding something, Sasuke! But just look at that runt! He's barely half Akamaru's size! Come on, Akamaru, ignore that snack for now." He waited, then opened one eye. "Akamaru...?"

Akamaru wasn't listening to him. He and Hikitsuko were circling each other with hatred in their eyes. Hikitsuko hissed and spat. Akamaru barked and snapped his fangs threateningly. Natural enemies, the fox and the hound, faced each other down. Silence fell as everyone watched the two animals. Kiba and Sasuke could care less about fighting each other. Now it was all about their animal partners. Akamaru snapped his teeth together, narrowly missing Hikitsuko's bushy tail. Hikitsuko retaliated by darting in, nipping Akamaru's ear, then bouncing back before the dog could bite back.

"Rrrrrrr..." Akamaru rumbled.

"Heeeerowwrrrrrr..." Hikitsuko retorted, his high voice making a growl into a whine.

"Can he do that?!" Kiba blurted out, turning to Iruka. Sasuke made a move forward, but Kiba snapped his head back, stopping the boy in his tracks.

"Yes," Iruka replied. "Hikitsuko is just as legal as Akamaru is. Both were registered by your sister Hana."

Kiba let out a low growl of disappointment, which quickly turned into a doglike yelp of disbelief. "Akamaru! Come back here!"

During the exchange, Akamaru had raked his teeth over Hikitsuko's scarred ear, causing the fox kit to bolt away and towards the exit. The door to the outside world stood wide open to air out the arena, and Hikitsuko sprinted out the door as fast as his paws could carry him, Akamaru close behind him.

"Hikitsuko! No!" Sasuke cried. He and Kiba started towards their yelping, howling partners, but Iruka ordered them back. The match was still going on. But Sasuke wasn't going to leave Hikitsuko to the hands of fate. "Naruto! Go after them and keep them from killing each other!" he ordered. He half expected him to refuse, but to his surprise and gratitude, Naruto nodded and hopped down form the watchers' balcony. The blonde boy hop-skipped across the fighting field and out the door, yipping after Hikitsuko.

Kiba turned back to Iruka. "Can _he_ do that?!" he demanded angrily, pointing at Naruto's retreating figure. Iruka shrugged lightly, a smile playing around his lips.

"Technically, no, he shouldn't be on the field while there's a match in progress, but we'll make an exception. After all, you do want to make sure Akamaru doesn't get torn to shreds, don't you?" Kiba scowled.

They waited.

Sasuke felt a burst of inspiration. Kiba wasn't moving because he couldn't do anything! Hikitsuko had drawn off Akamaru, leaving Kiba on his own and out of combinations. Sasuke was used to fighting his own battles. He had a clear advantage, and judging by the cheering, everyone else had realized that, too.

"If you're not going to do anything, Kiba, then I'll give you something to defend from," Sasuke shouted and he readied his attack. The look in Kiba's eyes told Sasuke that victory was definitely his.

;-:-;-:-;

**For those who wanted Naruto-kun to have more of a role in this fic...**

_Naruto's POV_

"Hikitsuko! Akamaru!"

The sound of their fighting had faded, and Naruto could barely hear the two quarreling quadrupeds. He followed the trail of broken plant stems and occasional splatters of blood out of Konoha and into the woods. "Hikitsuko!" he shouted again. "Akamaru! _Hikitsuko_!!"

A weak-sounding yip greeted his last yell. Naruto followed the sound a little further until he reached a small thicket. Hikitsuko and Akamaru, both scuffed up and beaten, lay across from each other. Occasionally, they would lazily swipe a paw at the other, only to have their blow fall short. Naruto reached down and stroked the fox kit's soft pelt. _Are you all right, Hikitsuko?_ he asked, speaking in the Fox tongue. Hikitsuko's tail swished once with recognition.

_Is the Master proud of me for helping him?_ the young fox asked hopefully. _I tried my best. I smelled that stuff...that "chakka" stuff he likes me to smell. It was getting really strong, and I knew the dog was helping it smell so strong, so I decided to stop the dog. Did I do everything right?_

_Yes,_ Naruto soothed, taking the kit into his arms. _You did very well, and I'm sure Sasuke is already winning. You kept the chakra smell from getting too strong, and you helped him win._ Hikitsuko snuggled closer, seeking comfort from the human who spoke his language. Naruto scratched behind the black ears before looking at Akamaru. "Akamaru?" The pup whined. "Let's get you back to Kiba. You're in no condition to fight, though, so you'll have to lay low with Hana until the match is over."

Akamaru flashed his fangs and barked. _He says he'll never come with you,_ Hikitsuko translated softly. _He says he'd rather wait for Kiba here. He really isn't very smart, is he, Boy Who Smells Like Fox? He doesn't know you're trying to help him._

Naruto couldn't help smiling at Hikitsuko. He reached over with a free hand and grabbed the loose skin on the scruff of Akamaru's neck. The leggy dog struggled and kicked as he tried to nip at Naruto. The blonde boy smirked. "Fight all you want. You're coming back with me whether you like it or not."

He turned and started walking back out of the woods. In one arm, he cradled the calm and snoozing Hikitsuko. In his free hand, he held the gnashing and barking Akamaru. He wanted to watch the end of the match. _If I hurry, I can probably get back before it's over,_ he thought hopefully. _I hope Sasuke creams Kiba!_

As he made his way back to the arena, Naruto started thinking about Sasuke. He'd been spending so much time with the other boy these past few days, and yet...He barely knew anything about him. To him, Sasuke was like a nut: no one really knew what was beneath the thick outer shell until it was broken, and no one knew how to break it. He wondered what was inside and he wanted desperately to break that shell.

_Do you think the Master is all right?_ Hikitsuko asked softly. Naruto smiled down at him.

_I'm sure he's just fine, and very proud of you, too._ Hikitsuko smiled a foxy grin and snuggled down further into the crook of the boy's arm. Naruto sighed as a brief image crossed his mind. He saw himself sitting beneath a tree with Sasuke and Hikitsuko. The fox kit was darting in pursuit of a butterfly. Sasuke was laughing and leaning up against Naruto. And there was ramen! He and Sasuke had ramen! But that didn't seem so important. Somehow, Sasuke seemed more important than the ramen.

_Well,_ he reasoned, _we _are _friends...sort of. I don't know if that's what Sasuke thinks of me, but that's what I think of him. I guess he is a little more important than food. _

But why him? Why Sasuke? Why had the lighting in that mental image been so muted, so calm? Was it. . .No! No, that couldn't be it!. . .Could it? Naruto shook his head firmly. He was almost there. Nodding to himself, he started running. Maybe if he hurried, he could catch the last part of the match. It shouldn't have taken _too_ long for Sasuke to mop the floor with Kiba.

"Now you got him, Sasuke-kun!"

"Kiba-kun!!"

Naruto took a startled step back as he watched Sasuke deliver a smashing kick to Kiba's stomach. The Inuzuka boy crashed to the ground not far away. He was scuffed up, bloody, and thoroughly beaten. Iruka called the match, and Sasuke dropped to the floor, panting hard. Naruto darted over to him, plunking Akamaru down on Kiba's head as he passed him. "Sasuke!"

Sasuke opened one eye. "Hey, Naruto," he puffed. "How did it go? Is Hikitsuko all right?"

Naruto handed him the sleeping fox kit. "He's fine. How are you?"

"I'll be fine. God, you missed a good fight, Naruto. Without Akamaru around, Kiba couldn't do anything, so I had a huge advantage. After a few minutes, though, he stared making a comeback—but without his dog helping him, it just wasn't his strong suit."

Naruto smiled as he rubbed behind Hikitsuko's ears. "Great," he murmured. "I'm glad you had a good match, Sasuke."

Sasuke opened his mouth to reply, but was cut off by a chorus of squeals of girlish amusement. Both boys whipped around to see Saukura and Ino running up to Sasuke, their arms outstretched. Both of them were gazing with soft eyes at Hikitsuko. Sakura was in the lead. "Sasuke-kun! Let me hold him! Oh, he's adorable!!"

"No, me first!" Ino cried. "Please, Sasuke-kun?"

Hikitsuko, after his battle with Akamaru, was tired and in no condition to be cuddled by cute-crazed girls. Naruto and Sasuke both knew that the fox kit needed to be anywhere but in the arms of Sakura or Ino. It was Naruto who came up with the brilliant idea. He clapped his hands together. "Henge!!" he shouted, and with a pop, transformed into Sasuke. Sasuke's face parted into a grin as he duplicated the transformation, becoming Naruto. He scratched behind his head and giggled like the blonde boy.

"Gotcha!" Sasuke taunted. He nodded to Naruto, and the two of them started running away from the two girls. Hikitsuko wriggled free of Sasuke's grip and bounded ahead of them.

"Let's see you find the real ones!" the pair teased as they fled the arena, leaving in their wake a very confused Sakura and Ino.


	7. Chapter 7

_Sasuke's POV_

"Go to my house!" Sasuke said as soon as they were out of earshot of Sakura and Ino. He shuddered slightly. The voice he had spoken in was Naruto's. He still couldn't get over that. "We can lie low there for a while."

"All right." Naruto nodded. Sasuke shivered again. One thing he didn't like about the Uzumaki boy's Transformation Jitsu Escape Plan was that he had to hear his own voice speaking someone else's words. He started running in the direction of Sasuke's house. Sasuke slapped his forehead. To anyone else, they looked and sounded like each other.

"No, not _my_ house!" he hissed angrily. "I'm _you_, Naruto, remember?" He turned himself in the other direction, heading for Naruto's house.

"Whoa—wait—what?" Naruto skidded to a halt, scratching his head in confusion. He looked in the direction of Sasuke's house, then his own. "Yours or mine? Actually, that makes no sense. Because your house, while it's _your _house, is also _my_ house—because you're you and I'm you. So do you mean _my_ house or _my_ house?"

Sasuke stared openmouthed. Naruto was him, Sasuke, but he was also Naruto. That meant that...whoa...Brain overload. He twitched slightly. "Let's see," he began shakily. "Ahm...I think..."

Both of them got the same idea at the same time as they both blurted out, "Your house." There was a few seconds' pause, then the two boys burst out laughing. Hikitsuko wandered confusedly between Sasuke, who looked like Naruto and smelled like Sasuke; and Naruto, who looked like Sasuke and smelled like Naruto. He sat down with a weary whine, looking from boy to boy. He couldn't decide who was who. Every one of his senses told him that they were themselves and the other at the same time.

Sasuke was the first to recover himself. He smirked. "All right, whose house?" he asked. Naruto opened his mouth to reply, then closed it, looking incredibly bewildered. "Should we transform back, you think? Maybe that would make this a little easier."

As he was speaking, Hikitsuko chose Naruto's side and started in the direction of Sasuke's house. The two boys started laughing again, then followed after the fox. Neither realized that as they walked, they walked closer to each other than they had before. It didn't feel wrong, so neither really noticed.

;-:-;-:-;

Sasuke opened the door and stepped aside to let Naruto in. It was a week later, and still signs of Hikitsuko's wild day alone were visible. The walls were still grooved about six inches from the floor where the fox had dragged the kunai along. One hallway's floor was nicked and dented from the fallen box of metal weapons. Naruto seemed to ignore all this. "Kitchen's down the hallway, first room there," Sasuke informed him. The boy nodded and started for the small room. Sasuke held back, scooping up Hikitsuko and a first aid kit on his way.

He heard the thump of Naruto flopping down on a chair at the kitchen table as well as the pop of him transforming back, and hurried ahead. Setting Hikitsuko down on the table atop a towel, he opened the white box and pulled out a few materials. Hikitsuko heaved a soft sigh before settling down on the soft fabric. Sasuke looked up at his fighting partner. "A few cuts and bites," he diagnosed, "but nothing out of my league. All right, let's get started, Hikitsuko."

"Hikitsuko did a great job with Akamaru," Naruto commented, giving the fox a gentle pat. "He's really proud of you for winning, Sasuke. He told me he hopes you're proud of him too. He really tried hard to make you happy."

"Proud?" Sasuke smiled. "I couldn't have done it without him! You saw how Kiba was ready to combine with Akamaru. That could've been nasty if it weren't for him!"

Naruto nodded, then finally turned to look at Sasuke. He burst out laughing. "Change back!" he spluttered, giggling too hard to speak normally. Sasuke studied himself. Oops. Still Naruto. With a pop of his own, he broke the jitsu and became himself again. Hikitsuko snickered.

As he started work on treating Hikitsuko's injuries, Sasuke started thinking back to the match. He realized just how much he'd needed the help of not only the fox, but the boy who spoke his language. If Hikitsuko hadn't distracted Akamaru and lured him away from the fight, Kiba could have been the winner. And if Naruto hadn't gone after the young fox, his hurts could have been beyond Sasuke's basic abilities to heal. _I needed them both,_ he thought, giving a worried smile as Hikitsuko flinched under his gentle touch. _Without them both...I might have lost that fight._

Naruto interrupted his train of thought with a soft sigh. "Nice place you have, Sasuke," he murmured. Sasuke looked up into those deep blue eyes and felt a sudden, strong pull towards them. He'd seen those eyes so many times before. Why was he just now noticing them?

"I don't think you've ever been here before, have you?" he asked. Naruto shook his head. "That's a little disappointing. I mean, we've been on the team together for a while now. You'd think we'd have spent time together by now." He returned his attention to Hikitsuko. Naruto laughed.

"Bet you've had Sakura-chan over here a few times, haven't you?" he teased. Sasuke laughed, a little dryly.

"I wouldn't let Sakura-chan within ten miles of my house!" he retorted. "She'd start going on and on about how I let her into my living space—therefore, I'm going out with her." Naruto let out a short cackle of amusement. Sasuke smiled to himself and he tested each of the fox's paws for sore spots. When he found nothing, he took out Hikitsuko's favorite new toy, a kunai he'd picked up that Sasuke had dulled the edges and tip of, and let the fox chew on it. Hikitsuko braced it on the table with one paw and held it up to his mouth with the other. A silence fell. Sasuke wondered why he was finding it so hard to talk to Uzumaki Naruto. He groped around for something else to talk about. "I think he's cutting his adult teeth," Sasuke told Naruto. "He keeps looking for things to gnaw on, and this morning I found this in my bed." He held up a small white fang. Naruto took the tooth.

"Yup. Looks like he's growing up just fine." Both boys smiled like proud parents at the fox kit. The conversation dropped off there; the only sound was that of Hikitsuko's baby teeth rasping against the iron ninja weapon. At first, Sasuke was comfortable with letting the talking stop. Inconspicuously, he glanced from the kit to Naruto, hoping desperately that the other youth wouldn't see him looking. Then the silence became horribly, horribly awkward. He could feel the tension building in the air, making it harder and harder to draw breath.

Finally, Naruto burst. He was clenching his teeth in a strained smile of borderline fear. "I'm gonna go now," he muttered, starting to get out of the chair. Sasuke jumped to his feet.

"Wait!" he burst out suddenly. Naruto stopped and stared curiously.

"Yeah?"

"...I..." Sasuke shook his head. "I dunno. Forget it."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah...It'll come to me eventually. Are you heading back to the arena?"

"Yeah." Naruto nodded. "I thought I heard Iruka-sensei say to take my name off of the list of people left to match up today, but I can't be sure. I'd better head back and see if I'm up next. Wanna come back with me?"

Sasuke, his stomach heavy with some emotion he couldn't quite understand, shook his head. "Nah. I'm..tired. Think I'll go to bed early today." He glanced over at a nearby clock. It was just past two in the afternoon. "Maybe not now, but...no, I'm just really beat, Naruto. Good luck, though."

Naruto nodded and started out the door. Once he was sure the boy was gone, Sasuke dropped back down heavily into his chair. He heaved a sigh of defeat. "Hikitsuko, why did I do that?" he asked sadly. The fox kit stopped teething and looked up at him, tilting his head to the side and perking up one ear. "I didn't need to tell him anything. I just...I just wanted his company." He put his elbows on the tabletop and rested his head in his hands. "Why do I suddenly want to spend so much time with Naruto?"

Hikitsuko didn't make a single sound as he abandoned his chew-toy and dropped down into Sasuke's lap. He cuddled up close to the boy and licked his chin. His dark eyes seemed to say, _It's all right. I'm here. I won't judge you. I'll just be cute and affectionate and let you know someone loves you._ Sasuke reached down and cradled his furry friend to his chest, glad for the fox's presence. He needed someone right now, and Hikitsuko was someone. The fox, though a little startled by this sudden need for close contact, did not struggle to be put down. He seemed to sense Sasuke's need for affection. He sighed and relaxed in Sasuke's embrace.

Uchiha Sasuke felt an emotion rise up inside of his heart, something he hadn't felt for years: true sadness. He felt so desolate and alone in the world at that instant, he almost burst into tears. Slowly, slowly, control built up a dam against the tears he felt rising up. He wasn't alone. Naruto hadn't left him forever. He was just back at the arena, waiting to see if he would be fighting to prove himself to Iruka. Besides, Hikitsuko was there with him now. He wasn't alone. A muscle in his left leg twitched, then began to ache painfully. _Stupid,_ he thought. He had forgotten to stretch after his fight. Whenever he woke up the next morning, he would be stiff as a board. It was too late to change it now.

He let his arms relax around Hikitsuko and the fox kit hopped down to the ground in a clatter of black claws. He looked up at Sasuke with adoration, then darted off to stand beside his food bowl, whining expectantly. Sasuke laughed and wiped his eyes, even though they were dry. "All right, you manipulative little furball," he said, sticking out his tongue. "I understand what my purpose in life is now. I'm only here to feed you, isn't that right?" Hikitsuko grinned and swished his tail. Sasuke opened the cabinet to see what he could feed the fox. In a flash of golden red, Hikitsuko was beside him, ears pricked expectantly. Sasuke chuckled and rubbed the fox kit's snow-white belly.

His hand brushed over various cans and boxes as he searched for something quick to give his friend. Now the tiredness from his recent match hit him. Suddenly, curling up in bed for the rest of the day didn't seem like a bad idea. He yawned and grabbed a container of something from the fridge. He dropped it into the fox's dish and yawned again. "I'm sorry, Hikitsuko," he mumbled. "I just can't keep my eyes open. I'll be upstairs if you need me for anything."

Hikitsuko seemed to understand as he wolfed down the food and trotted after Sasuke up the stairs. The Uchiha boy flopped down on his bed without bothering to get changed out of his dayclothes. He closed his eyes and rolled over onto his side. He heard the soft tread of Hikitsuko's black paws on the carpet, a sound that had become familiar to him by now. He didn't feel like telling the young fox to stay out of his bed. Actually, if Hikitsuko wanted to sleep with him, he wouldn't say no. But to his disappointment, the fox kit curled up on the towel that had become his bed. He sighed, not feeling like telling the creature to come into his bed with him.

Sleep did not come immediately to Sasuke. He spent a half-hour shifting from position to position trying to get comfortable. Once he found something decent, he realized he'd forgotten to take off his shoes. He sat up wearily and unstrapped his sandals, letting them fall to the floor with a dull _thud_. He lay back down again, sighing to himself as he let his eyes fall shut. Finally, he fell asleep.

;-:-;-:-;

Dreams are bizarre workings of the mind, often bringing to light deep wishes that the conscious mind doesn't know of or keeps well hidden. Sasuke wondered about this often after his dream that afternoon. He dreamed that he was back to one of his earliest days with Hikitsuko. The tod was cowering behind Sasuke, quivering in fear of the wooden training dummy. Sasuke turned to see Naruto grinning cockily at him. He took a step towards the blonde boy. "Naruto...?" he breathed. Naruto nodded. "What are you doing here?"

"You wanted to hang out with me more, remember, Sasuke?" Naruto asked, tilting his head to the side. "I didn't expect to see you here with Sakura-chan, though."

"Sakura..." Sasuke turned just in time to see Hikitsuko become Haruno Sakura. The fox-turned-girl winked at him, then gave him a sharp push. Sasuke stumbled to regain his footing, but not before he collided with Naruto. The blonde boy smirked.

"So you _did _want to spend time with me," he teased, winking. Then he wrapped his arms around Sasuke's waist and smiled even bigger. Sasuke felt a strange warmth build up inside his chest, a warmth he'd never felt before. He never wanted Naruto to let him go.

Sasuke felt his body give a convulsive twitch and the dream scattered. He struggled to hold onto the warm feeling it had given him. Outside, a cold rain was drumming on the rooftops in the village. The sound of the falling rain dampened the warmth of Sasuke's dream, leaving him feeling cold and alone again. He stared out at the dark, wet night. _Why Naruto? _he wanted to know. _Why did I dream about Naruto?_ He thought of the blonde prankster longingly. The morning couldn't come soon enough. He wanted nothing more than to be in the boy's company. But...did that mean...?

"No!" he whispered sharply. "No, it's not...I'm not...No!" He shook his head firmly. No, that was wrong. He couldn't. . .Could he? No...it wasn't right. But if it wasn't, why did it feel right?

_Why am I so worried about this?_ he wondered, shaking his head again. _It was just a dream, right? Right. None of that actually happened. Dreams are always really screwed up. It was just a dream. It doesn't mean a thing._

Even though he'd slept more than normal, Sasuke was still tired. He needed companionship. Reaching down beside his bed, he grasped Hikitsuko gently. The sleeping fox awoke and blinked up at him with curious, sleep-heavy eyes. "Hikitsuko, tonight, I want you to sleep up here with me," Sasuke murmured. He lay back down, resting a hand on the fox's warm, soft coat. Sleep came quickly this time, and soon both boy and fox were snoring peacefully.


	8. Chapter 8

The rain from the previous night combined with the warmth of the previous few days to create a thick, heavy fog. It hung in the air, softening the edges of buildings and blurring shapes together. Sasuke headed out after packing a bottle of water and a few small snacks for Hikitsuko into a small pack. Hikitsuko perched on his shoulder, his pointed muzzle stretched up and out as he scented the air, his kunai clamped in his jaws. Sasuke was glad he didn't have to hide Hikitsuko anymore. He liked the fox's weight on his shoulder. It felt...right, somehow.

"I wonder where Naruto is," the boy murmured, scratching his head. He was leaned against the wall of an alley, his usual waiting place for Naruto. He had been there for a few minutes and still there was no sign of his friend. "It's not like him to be late like this, especially when we're walking together. Should we start without him, Hikitsuko?"

The fox kit considered this briefly before nodding. Sasuke nodded as well. "All right. Maybe he's already there. Although, I can't understand why he'd go off without me." He started the walk to the arena alone, keeping a steady stream of conversation with his fox friend. "Maybe he had a hard fight yesterday and he's sleeping it off. I bet that's it. He's probably just tired. If that's the case, then he'll be a little late, if he shows up at all. I don't think he could have been hurt that badly."

Hikitsuko listened to the one-sided conversation as best as he could. Every so often, he would hop down to the ground, poke his snout somewhere, then scamper back to Sasuke. The Uchiha youth would obligingly bend down to let his friend back up. The walk to the arena took slightly longer than it usually did, so by the time he saw it, Sasuke knew he had missed the beginning of the first match-up. He broke into a run.

"Naruto!" he panted, smiling slightly when he saw the boy. Naruto turned away from Hyuuga Hinata, who he had been talking with, and smiled as well.

"Sasuke! You made it! Great!"

"Who do we have today?" Sasuke asked, leaning on the railing next to Naruto. The blonde youth laughed out loud.

"You're never going to believe this. It's Hinata's cousin, Neji against that Choji guy on Ino-chan's team!"

"Hyuuga Neji?" Sasuke repeated, staring intently at the sparring figures down below. "You've got to be kidding me. Byakugan Boy versus the Calorie Converter? This'll be over in a few minutes."

He turned his head to the right to look at Naruto. Hinata was there instead. "That was...a really great match yesterday, Sasuke-kun," she murmured softly, turning her pale eyes down to the floor. "You and your little fox fought very well. Although...Kiba-kun is not happy about losing."

"Who would be?"

"Well..." She glanced up, then back down. "I think I should warn you. Kiba-kun...he's a very nice person, don't get me wrong, but he...takes losing very seriously. He may not speak to you for a while to come..." She lifted her eyes and focused them on Hikitsuko. "I was wondering...Could I hold your fox? Please?"

Before Sasuke could open his mouth to tell her he didn't mind, Hikitsuko leapt from his shoulder and onto Hinata's. The girl gave a soft squeak of delight and reached out a tentative hand to stroke the fox's ginger pelt. Hikitsuko licked her cheek and nuzzled her gently. Hinata looked as though she would die of happiness. Sasuke couldn't help a smile of his own. Naruto tapped on his shoulder and motioned him to speak with him away from Hinata.

"Did you remember what you wanted to tell me yesterday?" he asked. Just as Sasuke was stalling for an answer, a loud cheer rang through the arena, causing them both to jump and look. Choji's body had nearly doubled in size, and Neji's blow bounced harmlessly off. Naruto turned back to Sasuke, looking expectant.

"No," Sasuke lied, shaking his head. "It probably wasn't important, though."

"Excuse me." Hinata's soft voice broke in. Both boys turned to look. "Naruto-kun, would you like to watch the rest of the match with me?"

Naruto shook his head. "No thanks, Hinata. Sasuke and I need to talk about something."

Hinata's face fell, and Sasuke stepped in. "Tell you what, Hinata, why don't we trade foxes?" Both she and Naruto gave him curious looks. "What I mean is, would you like to watch the rest of the match with Hikitsuko while I watch with Naruto?"

Hinata's pale eyes lit up as she cradled Hikitsuko closer. "Are you sure? Can I really?" Sasuke nodded. "Thank you, Sasuke-kun." She scratched behind the tod's black ears. "He's adorable."

"I've been replaced by the furball," Naruto muttered, but he was smiling with the joke. Sasuke nodded.

"I'll keep Naruto nice and safe for you, Hinata," he promised. The Hyuuga girl grinned and buried her face in Hikitsuko's soft fur. Sasuke stared at the opposite wall, leaning back on the rail again. "Naruto, I was wondering if you wanted to hang out later today. We can train or whatever you want."

"The Ramen Bar. My treat. We can go right now if you want. This match is as good as won, anyways."

Sasuke turned and looked into those haunting blue eyes. "All right." He glanced back at Hinata, holding Hikitsuko like a baby in her arms as she watched the mock battle. His furry friend would be safe with Hinata. Without a word to anyone, he and Naruto crept out of the arena.

;-:-;-:-;

"Sasuke, I've been meaning to talk to you for a while now," Naruto began, fiddling with his chopsticks. Sasuke looked up at him. "I mean, I just can't understand why we never used to get along. Neither of us have parents, and both of us are strong in our own ways."

Sasuke sighed, wishing for all the world that he had Hikitsuko in his lap then and there. "Well...I mean, back then...No one understands me and my past," he muttered. The mere thought of the horrors he'd seen as a child made him shudder. He felt Naruto's hand on his shoulder.

"Maybe if you told me, I would understand," he murmured seriously.

The words came out in a rush, almost as if they had been rehearsed every night since the terrible event had taken place. Sasuke felt them flowing out of him in a fluid stream, and felt a strange emptiness when they were out. He'd been holding back and hiding away without ever thinking of letting go. And now, as he gazed into those sympathetic, cerulean eyes, he felt a sort of release, as if he'd spent his whole life waiting to tell the blonde boy sitting across from him. Silence stretched out. Sasuke wondered if he was breathing as loudly as he thought he was. After a time, Naruto gave him a gentle pat on the shoulder. "I never knew," he whispered hoarsely, his eyes wide and stunned. "I never knew that's what you had to go through, Sasuke..."

"It seems like nobody knows," Sasuke mumbled, his voice thick with barely concealed tears. It had been years since he'd cried—at least, cried in front of someone else. He couldn't understand why he was suddenly opening up so much. Naruto glanced up at a nearby clock, swearing softly when he saw the time. He pulled out a few coins and dropped them on the table between the two bowls of ramen.

"I'm sorry to cut this so short, but we have to get back soon," he said, looking again at the clock as if daring the hands to move any further ahead. "Are you coming back with me?" Sasuke nodded. Hikitsuko was back at the arena with Hinata. He wanted to feel the familiar brush of the young fox's fur against his hands again. Digging through his pockets, he produced a few coins of his own and added them as a tip, then darted after Naruto.

As he ran alongside the youth, he felt the pressure of tears slowly back down from his eyes and the weight of sorrow relived lift from his chest. Naruto looked over his shoulder and flashed him a quick, goofy grin. Sasuke replied with his own trademark smirk. "Race ya!" the Uzumaki boy shouted. "C'mon, Sasuke! You run like a girl!"

"_I_ run like a girl? You run like Lee!" Sasuke put on a spurt of speed, hoping to pass his friend. Naruto stuck out his tongue and laughed. It was he who darted ahead, leaving Sasuke feeling slow and, quite frankly, out of shape.

"Too slow! You run like Ino-chan!"

"You run like a turtle!"

"You run like a bird!"

By the time they reached the arena, both had run out of comparisons and breath, and Sasuke was feeling much better. He barely opened the door when Hikitsuko bounced out and tackled him head-on. Sasuke actually laughed when the fox kit scrabbled the front of his shirt with dusty paws and perched on his shoulder. Hinata appeared a few seconds later, her pale eyes wide. "Oh, Sasuke-kun, I'm sorry he got away from me!" she apologized, then stopped and smiled shyly as Sasuke smiled back at her.

"It's all right, Hinata-chan," he told her. "He knows better than to run anywhere dangerous. Foxes have sharp ears; he probably heard us coming and decided to meet and greet." He scratched behind the fox's ears. "Thanks for watching him for me. Did we miss anything?"

"As you expected, Neji beat Choji without any trouble. After that, it was Lee-kun against Shikamaru-kun," Hinata replied. "Lee-kun won, but just barely." She shrugged. "You lucked out, Naruto-kun. Once again, you weren't chosen when you weren't there."

Sasuke looked from boy to girl, nodding to himself. "Are we about done?" he asked. Hinata shook her head.

"One more match, then Iruka-sensei says we'll call it a day," she answered. She turned to Naruto, her pale eyes warm. "Naruto-kun, if you're not up next, would you like to watch the match with me?"

Naruto glanced at Sasuke before nodding. "Sure! Wanna watch with us, Sasuke?"

Sasuke started to refuse, but one look at the two expectant faces made him change his mind then and there. He nodded, smiling along with them. "All right." He gave Hikitsuko a stroke before walking back up to the balcony to wait for the next match-up.

As he watched the names spin, Sasuke thought back to the Ramen Bar and what had happened there. He never thought he would tell anyone, _anyone_, about what he had seen as a child—and he never thought that if he were to tell anyone, it would be Uzumaki Naruto. And yet...somehow, it didn't feel so wrong. He watched the names spin to a halt, one after the other, and laughed at Naruto's frustration that he was not chosen. The blonde boy cooled his hot temper quickly at the sound of Sasuke's laughter, smiling sheepishly.


	9. Chapter 9

Days sped by until finally, the weekend was reached. The practice matches proved to be an interesting way to spend the day for Sasuke. He watch every match, eagerly waiting for someone to produce a jitsu he could copy and use alongside Hikitsuko. So far, nothing good had turned up, although his disappointment was alleviated as he watched Naruto tackle the girl Tenten bravely and come out the winner. Hikitsuko got his fair share of watching as well. Sasuke carried the fox proudly on his shoulder now, for all to see and comment on. It was much better than trying to hide the growing creature in his shirt—something he doubted he'd be able to pull off now. Everyone was impressed by Hikitsuko's sleek pelt, lively eyes, and playful disposition.

Except for Kiba.

Kiba's respect for his classmate had all but disappeared. Sasuke could not pass by the Inuzuka boy without receiving some kind of evil glare or angry comment. Akamaru joined in his partner's bad attitude, snapping and puffing up his fur at the sight of Hikitsuko. Hinata hadn't been kidding when she said Kiba was vindictive. Sasuke and Hikitsuko tried their best to ignore it, but it wasn't always easy.

That was why Sasuke was grateful for the weekend. Without school to keep them under the same roof for hours, he could be as far away from Kiba as he wanted to. He spent most of that time roaming the streets of Konoha with the young tod on his shoulder, partly because he needed to, and partly because he could. It was something he had come to enjoy. Every time he passed by an alley, he couldn't help thinking back to the day he had met Hikitsuko and just how much had happened in the short time they had been together.

He noticed something else starting to change: his loyalties. Normally, he would have spent the weekend alone. Now, he found himself hooking up with Naruto, and sometimes Hinata, and just hanging out with them. It was a wonderful three-way friendship, and it filled a lot of what Sasuke felt he had been missing in his life. He couldn't recall ever going anywhere in particular with anyone unless he was forced to. When he was with them, Hikitsuko and Naruto brought laughter, and Hinata brought calm insight and the occasional quiet joke. He decided he liked being with the three of them, especially with Naruto.

As the days passed, he found himself growing closer to the blonde prankster and becoming incredibly comfortable around him. He no longer held his worries in; he knew Naruto was always there with a sympathetic ear to listen and understand. It was nice, he realized, to have someone to be close to. Girls could be catty sometimes, and with Naruto he could feel free to be himself. They were together every day, whether it was walking through the village with Hinata or finding a place outside the village to talk and be together away from everyone else.

"Personally? I'd have to say that Sharingan beats Byakugan every time—and I'm not just saying that because I _have_ the Sharingan eyes. Sure, with Byakugan, you can see all around you and into things, but with Sharingan, you can copy everything an opponent does."

"Really? I'd choose Byakugan. That way, I wouldn't have to sneak my way into _certain places._ I could stand outside and look in! Know what I'm saying?"

Sasuke sighed. "I'm thinking about fighting. You're thinking about naked women. Something is definitely wrong here."

He and Naruto were perched on a high, wide tree limb just outside the village, discussing anything that came to mind. Right now, it was choosing kekkei genkai—Byakugan versus Sharingan. The sun was starting to set, turning the land shades of gold and blood red combined. Sasuke let the conversation fall and looked down and around at the panoramic view. The tree had been Naruto's idea of a place to sit and talk in privacy, and Sasuke had to agree that it was a good one. He smiled faintly, then looked up.

He still couldn't get over Naruto's eyes. Every time he stared into them, he felt incredibly self-conscious and jerked his head away. And for just such a reason, he happened to look down and spot Inuzuka Kiba making his way back to Konoha, looking incredibly tired. Akamaru limped rather than walked beside him. Sasuke's black eyes hardened into stone at the sight of his new bully. Naruto followed his look of hatred downwards and smirked mischievously. Pulling a slingshot from the back pocket of his jumpsuit, he grabbed a green nut from one of the smaller branches and opened fire on Kiba.

The gray-coated boy gave a loud yelp as the nut connected squarely with his head. He tore back his hood and glared up at the two boys. "You'll pay for that one, Naruto!" he shouted, rubbing his head.

"Geez, Kib, you're cranky!" Naruto shot back haughtily. "What's been eating you? Don't tell me you're still sore over Sasuke kicking your doggy butt! Have you been losing sleep over one lost match?"

"Let it go, Naruto," Sasuke murmured, but Naruto didn't hear him.

"For your information, I've been training all day with Akamaru!" Kiba yelled. He grabbed the tawny pup and deposited him inside his coat, just in case Naruto turned the slingshot on the dog instead. "But what would _you_ know about training? You just spend all your time with Sasuke and Hinata! And come to think of it, why are you spending all your time with _him_? I thought you hated Sasuke!"

Akamaru poked his head and forepaws out of Kiba's coat, adding a few quick barks into the conversation. Kiba thought about it for a while, then burst out laughing, a harsh, mocking laugh that Sasuke knew was directed at him. "Akamaru says he thinks you two are falling for each other!" he burst out.

Naruto drew back, looking startled. Sasuke, however, was hard-hit by the verbal abuse. He felt his thinning patience with Kiba snap entirely. His fingers quirked like claws and he dug them into the bark of the branch. "Oh yeah?" he spat, his eyes wide. "Well, for all you know, Kiba, maybe we are!" Without a second thought, he reached out his neck and gave Naruto a quick, fleeting kiss on the cheek. He drew back, eyes daring Kiba to say anything.

Kiba froze, his dark eyes wide in surprise. A muscle beneath his left eye twitched, then the horrible laugh started up again. He bolted back towards the village, hooting and hollering. He left in his wake a very stunned Naruto and embarrassed Sasuke.

The last of the Uchiha clan moved first. He turned his head slowly to look at Naruto, and saw the boy looking back at him. He avoided the haunting blue gaze, focusing instead on the boy's small nose. "You...you do know that was only to make him leave...right?" he asked. It was a while before Naruto nodded mutely. Sasuke continued in a frantic rush. "It meant nothing. Like kissing a brick wall. I could do it again and it wouldn't mean a thing to you or me—but I'm not going to, okay?" Another silent nod. "Naruto...Are you all right?"

"Yeah." Naruto's voice was a tiny squeak as he nodded again. "I just...whoa...Never mind, Sasuke." He shook his head firmly, then blinked hard. "That was just a little...yeah. But I understand. No, no, it's fine, totally cool by me. I know you didn't really...You didn't, right?"

"Oh, right, right." Sasuke nodded vigorously. "Right, didn't mean a thing by it. Just...trying to get rid of Kiba..." He looked down at Hikitsuko. "Listen, it's...it's getting kind of late. You think maybe we should..."

"Go to bed? I mean—you go to your bed, I got to mine. Yeah. Yeah, I think that'll...that'll be good. Yeah, kinda tired. Hmm, hungry, too." He gave Sasuke one final look before murmuring, "Well, g'night," and jumping down from the tree. Sasuke watched him leave, feeling a strange mixture of fulfillment and doubt.

Kissing Naruto had had the desired effect: Kiba was gone. However, it left in the wake of its success a lot of questions that probably shouldn't be answered. For instance, why had _that_ been the first thing to come to his mind? Why hadn't it felt incredibly wrong? And why, most importantly, had the expression on Naruto's round face not been one of total disgust? After all, he'd just been kissed by a boy!

"Hikitsuko," Sasuke whispered, taking the fox kit into his arms and making the gentle leap down to the ground, "there are some things in this world I will never understand. And one of those things is what happened here today. _Why _did I kiss Naruto?"

Hikitsuko did not respond in the way Sasuke would have liked, with words; however, he responded in the traditional animal way, with a comforting sound and a close snuggle. Sasuke touched down light as a cat and cradled the fox close to him. He buried his face in the soft, thick pelt and, for the first time in years, cried. He fell down in the middle of the dusty path through the woods and sobbed into the fox's gingery-red fur. He didn't know why he was crying in the first place. He felt a huge, gaping emptiness in his heart, and wondered if you could really die of a broken heart.

But why was it broken?

Uchiha Sasuke, stoic member of team 7, leaned back against a stump and cried everything he'd held back for so long. He cried for his family, for Naruto, for every time he had felt that incredible loneliness tear him apart. Hot tears rolled down his cheeks as he let go of everything that had ever brought him down. It felt terrible to weep so unashamedly, but at the same time, so good to finally release all he'd ever held. Hikitsuko's warm tongue caressed his face as the young fox tried to soothe the one who had given him so much and asked for so little in return. Sasuke was glad he wasn't completely alone here, when he needed love the most.

After about ten or fifteen minutes, his frenetic sobs slowed to soft hiccups, then to quiet sniffling. He held Hikitsuko close to his chest. The sun had vanished below the horizon, leaving the land in a sort of half-darkness. Shapes were already blurring together into dark purple, meaningless blobs. Sasuke stood up, wiping his face one last time before setting out for home. Hikitsuko squirmed out of his arms and onto his shoulder, where he never once stopped bathing Sasuke's ears in affectionate licks. Sasuke was glad to have such an understanding companion, even if he never could figure out what the fox was saying to him.

The walk home was silent. The streets were deserted as people settled down inside for dinner and family fun. Sasuke tried not to think about family. He never wanted more than the fox kit sitting on his shoulder. He wanted to live alone with Hikitsuko, and no one else. Alone. Tears threatened again. Well, maybe not alone. Maybe with someone special.

As he settled down in bed, Sasuke did something unusual. He lifted the drowsy Hikitsuko up from his towel and set him down beside him in bed. "I need someone with me tonight," he explained. "And it might as well be you. You don't mind, do you?" Hikitsuko shook his head, licking Sasuke's face tenderly. Sasuke smiled and turned off the lights.

;-:-;-:-;

If he had thought his first dream had been strange, Uchiha Sasuke would have no word at all to describe the next dream he had.

He dreamed he was sitting high in the tree with Naruto again, only the sun wasn't setting. On the contrary, it was just starting to rise. The half-light made the shapes and shadows merge into soft figures. And it was spring, too. Petals falling from the trees' flowers drifted through the air. Sasuke heard flute music nearby and looked behind him to see Hikitsuko standing on his hindpaws, playing a small reed flute. The music was light and happy, and it made him feel relaxed. He looked down to see Kiba holding Akamaru by the front paws and swinging him around as the two of them danced together. They both smiled up at him. Sasuke felt himself smile back. For a dream, it wasn't really so bad. A little crazy, but not unlikable.

He turned back to Naruto, surprised to see that the boy had inched closer to him. The dopey grin Sasuke had come to enjoy seeing was in full burst. "They won't leave us alone until you kiss me!" Naruto told him, a teasing tone in his voice. He stretched his neck closer to Sasuke. "C'mon! Don't you want a little peace and quiet?"

Sasuke had to admit, now that he was thinking about it, Kiba and Akamaru had started up an annoying chant. He couldn't quite pick out the words, but he knew they were making fun of him. Yes, come to think of it, he would like a little peace and quiet to gather his thoughts. He obliged, and found his lips touching Naruto's.

Naruto gave a peaceful smile, then turned into Sakura. The Haruno girl frowned at him, then turned into Uchiha Itachi. Itachi grinned evilly. Everything around Sasuke, which had been serene pastel greens and pinks, turned to red, blood red. Sasuke let out a sharp cry as Itachi shoved him off the branch and into the black void below. Images swirled around him, and as he focused on each one of them, he realized they were scenes he'd seen before. His family was dying all around him, and, being such a small child, there was nothing he could do to save them. He struggled, trying to grasp the hands stretched towards him in desperate pleas, but his arms were held fast by some force he couldn't see. He kicked, but his feet would not move. He let out a shrill, frightened cry...

**No ItachiSasuke slash was intended by that, by the way. Have you ever had a dream that is just incredibly screwed up, and it turns into a nightmare all of a sudden? This is one of those times. Poor Sasuke-kun...:'(**

Sasuke woke up screaming, doused in a cold sweat. The sheets were tangled around his arms and legs, and it took him a while to scrap together enough rational thought to free himself. He became aware of a shrill, frantic yipping and noticed Hikitsuko dashing around the room, his pelt sticking up straight in terror. Sasuke realized he must have kicked the fox out of his bed in his dream and tried to think of how to calm him down. He remembered that Naruto would always bark something in the fox language to make Hikitsuko relax. After playing it over in his head a few times, he figured he had the basics of it and tried his best.

Hikitsuko skidded to a halt, obviously more relieved that Sasuke was all right than by the words that were obviously said incorrectly. Sasuke sighed and flopped back on the bed. He felt the mattress shift as Hikitsuko's delicate paws touched down and padded over to his side. He wrapped an arm around the fox briefly, then got up to use the bathroom. Before returning to bed, he got a drink of water. It was an old trick he'd often used on himself, something that usually helped him get back to sleep when he woke up in the middle of the night.

Hikitsuko was waiting with pricked ears and a welcoming grin. Sasuke collapsed into bed with a tired groan. "Hikitsuko-kun," he mumbled, "what's happening to me? I'm spending all my free time with people I used to hate and I cried last night. I feel like I'm breaking apart, but at the same time, like everything's finally coming together again." He rolled over onto his side and scratched behind the fox's black, scarred ears. "What's happening to me?" he repeated.

Again, Hikitsuko could only offer him animal comforts. He pressed close to Sasuke, licking his face and whining gently. As he drifted back to sleep, Sasuke wondered why he had ever hesitated to take the young fox into his home.


	10. Chapter 10

**Thanks to everyone who reviewed so far! Wow, I didn't think this story would be as popular as it is! I'm two away from 100 reviews, something I've only come halfway to doing:3 I guess people really like SasuNaru! ;D Sweet! Well, enjoy Chapter 10!**

Still shaken by his strange, disturbing dream, Uchiha Sasuke found himself taking an early-morning walk with Hikitsuko through the still-sleeping village. It was still early enough that the sun, while it could just barely be seen in the horizon, had not had a chance to blaze summer heat over the land. The faint, warming light of dawn turned Konoha shades of pink and pale yellow. Over in the west, the sky was still dark, and a few of the brighter stars could still be seen. The sky, aside from a few wispy cirrus clouds, was perfectly clear.

Sasuke sighed quietly under his breath. He didn't go in the direction of Naruto's house. After his "breakdown" the previous night, he didn't think he could handle being with the blonde boy just yet. Something told him the overpowering emotions that had led to his tears were related to time spent with the Uzumaki youth. Besides, he felt like he needed some time alone with Hikitsuko—even if it meant not understanding what the young fox was saying to him. He glanced down at the fiery-red kit trotting beside him and smiled. "Hikitsuko, why have I been thinking about Naruto so much?" he asked. He kept his voice at a whisper, conscious of just how quiet the village was so early in the morning. "Why does he keep showing up in my dreams? Is it just because we've spent so much time together?...Or...is it something else?"

Hikitusko's ears pricked up at his name and the sound of Sasuke's voice, and Sasuke knew he understood what had been said. His only problem was speech. He could not answer in a way Sasuke would understand, at least not without Naruto around to translate. His furry face held a look of apology as he rubbed his body against Sasuke's leg. Sasuke sighed again, wondering why he had expected an actual reply from the fox kit. "Well, it doesn't matter. He's not here right now. It's just you and me. You know, ever since our fight against Kiba and Akamaru, I've been thinking. We need to really pull together and develop some kind of jitsu that we can use together. I know Kiba can do things like that with Akamaru, but—"

He dropped off right there when, as if on cue, Inuzuka Kiba appeared across from him on the road. The brown-haired boy hadn't seen Sasuke, and when he felt a breeze on his face, Sasuke knew Akamaru couldn't smell him. _What's Kiba doing up so early?_ Sasuke wondered. He crouched down and put his hand flat to the ground. Hikitsuko recognized the signal and scurried up the arm to rest on his shoulder. Keeping downwind as much as he could, Sasuke sneaked along the road behind Kiba. Curiosity drove him to find out just what the boy was up to.

;-:-;-:-;

"Are you ready, Akamaru?" Kiba asked. Akamaru barked softly. "All right, one more time, then. Jinjuu Konbi Henge: Sotoro!!"

The boy and his dog were standing in the training clearing, while Sasuke and Hikitsuko crouched in the forest behind them. Sasuke watched in interest as a massive, double-headed wolf took shape, and managed to catch every detail. He couldn't help smiling. He had been waiting to see Kiba use something he could duplicate, and now he had it. It would be so easy, now that he thought about it, to combine with Hikitsuko in the same way. But it had to be perfect, and it had to look original. He decided to tweak it later. For now, he just needed to learn the basics.

With a loud pop, Kiba broke the jitsu and dropped down in an exhausted heap to the ground. He was breathing hard, and for a moment, Sasuke wondered if he would have to run for help. Kiba had done nothing to endear himself to the Uchiha boy, but he was still a classmate, and if things turned bad for Konoha, an ally; besides, if something bad _did_ happen to Kiba, and people knew Sasuke hadn't done anything to help, he would be in serious trouble. But after a few minutes of panting and puffing, Kiba pushed himself shakily up off the dirt and sighed. "We're doing great, Akamaru," he breathed. "I think we've just about got it down. How are you feeling?" Akamaru barked a reply, sounding just as tired as Kiba. He scratched behind the puppy's ears, smiling tiredly. "Great. You think that's enough for now?" Again, Akamaru whimpered a reply.

_No,_ thought Sasuke, disappointedly. _I need to make sure I got it all! Don't give up just yet, Kiba!_

He concealed himself against the bark of a tree as Kiba got to his feet wearily, holding Hikitsuko close to his chest. The boy passed right by him, presumably too worn out to bother scenting the air. Sasuke wondered just how often Kiba came out here to practice that technique. In the time he had been in the clearing, Kiba had performed it at least five times. It looked to Sasuke to be a draining jitsu, but one he was willing to try with Hikitsuko. He clung to the thin tree with his shoulderblades and waited for Kiba's footsteps to fade into nothingness. Finally, he relaxed, letting out the breath he had been holding in a sudden whoosh. "Hikitsuko," he whispered, "I hope you were paying close attention to that, because some day, we'll be using that jitsu on our own."

Hikitsuko tilted his head up, grinning up at Sasuke as if to say, _If that's what you want me to do, then I will._

;-:-;-:-;

Sasuke clasped his hands together in front of himself, reviewing in his mind over and over again what he had seen only hours ago. He took a deep, steadying breath to calm his nerves. As much as he tried to tell himself otherwise, it still felt like stealing. _It's not stealing because I changed it,_ he told himself over and over again. _It's going to look different from what Kiba does. Very different. I made sure I changed it. It's not stealing because it's not identical._

"Ready, Hikitsuko?" he asked, and felt the fox's familiar weight land gracefully on his shoulder. He took another deep breath and flashed his hands in a few quick signs. He wanted fire in his jitsu. It seemed fitting. After all, he was an Uchiha. He felt the air around him pulse with energy—chakra, he knew—and tried to keep his focus. If this was to go without a hitch, he needed to pay as close attention as he could to the transformation process. Hikitsuko's paws on his shoulder gave a nervous quiver, and he heard the fox whine. _He's scared, of course. The whole idea is still new to him._

Sasuke squeezed his eyes shut. He could feel his legs lengthening, feel warm hair spreading across them. With a grinding pop, his knees flipped backwards, forcing him down on his hands. He growled as a stone dug into his palm, and marveled at the deep, reverberating rumble. The sound was far from human. _It's working!_ He looked up and saw his field of view change. His eyes began to focus differently; he found himself shifting focus from leaf to leaf as the waves of chakra pushed them around. Motion was everything to him now. He could really only see something if it moved, but even the slightest shifting caught his eyes. He heard a soft whimper beside him and turned to give Hikitsuko a soothing nuzzle.

He held the jitsu in place, enthralled by how well it had gone. He could feel the heat coming off his body in ripples, smell the strength of his new form. Then, as he felt its steady drain, released it, falling down to the ground in a tired heap. Hikitsuko licked his face. Sasuke opened one eye, smiling tiredly. "That was good for a first try," he rasped. "God, it takes a lot out of you, though." He pushed himself up with one hand. "Give me a few minutes, and then we'll go home, Hikitsuko. I don't think I could do that one again today."

When he left the small clearing soon after, Sasuke didn't bother to look back. It didn't occur to him that his transformation would have any sort of effect on the tiny glade. As he made his way home to rest and eat, a gentle breeze started up. As it brushed past charred, black-edged leaves, bright orange cinders flared up and smoked. Sasuke didn't see, but if he had, it would have amazed him. He of all people would have recognized just how much heat was needed to burn green growth.

;-:-;-:-;

"Are you ready?"

"I'm ready. Let's do it!"

Sasuke clasped his hands in front of himself, forming the familiar signs. He could feel Naruto standing beside him, and knew it was a dream. He hadn't seen the blonde boy all day, being too worn out to be sociable. He was a little reluctant to use his newest jitsu with a human rather than a fox, but Naruto had assured him nothing would go wrong. He felt Naruto's hand on his shoulder and nodded. The weight was exactly like Hikitsuko. It didn't feel so different now.

He shut his eyes tightly as the transformation began. It was exactly like what had happened earlier that morning. Sasuke relished the overwhelming power surge, letting the roar of energy full his mind. Naruto was stronger than Hikitsuko, with a bigger body and more chakra. The incredible rush filled his veins with a wild, ceaseless song, a song of running in the night in pursuit of small, dumb prey. He let out a feral snarl of pleasure. He could almost _taste_ warm blood. Beside him, he heard Naruto echo his growl with an earth-shaking roar of his own. Their eyes met, and they exchanged a brief nod. With a sinuous whirl, they raced off into the woods, snapping and yelping in the voice of fire.

Sasuke liked to run. He felt free and proud. Nothing could stop him now. Together with Naruto, he could outrun anything so foolish as to challenge him. The unbelievable adrenalin rush lifted him out of his mundane, human life and placed him into the wild and exciting life of a fox. He raced the wind and yipped a haunting challenge to the moon above. The Uzumaki boy's voice rose and fell with his own, harmonizing in a bold song that no mortal ear could hear the beauty of. Just when Sasuke thought he could feel no more freedom, energy, or excitement, the surge ended. Naruto broke the jitsu, and Sasuke followed suit.

"Incredible," Sasuke breathed, his eyes wide in wonder. Naruto grinned his cocky smile.

"I love working together with you like this, Sasuke," he said. "And it's so perfect. Foxes are creatures of the fire, and Uchiha are ninja of it."

"We belong together," Sasuke told him, unable to keep a smile from his lips. "You are the fox, I am the fire."

They were getting closer and closer to each other—physically, Sasuke realized. Standing so close that they almost touched didn't feel wrong. He had never felt so full, so wonderful, than when he was standing this close to Uzumaki Naruto. He didn't want to back away, and from the look in those deep blue eyes in front of him, neither did Naruto. The blonde boy was practically leaning against Sasuke now. They sat down, still panting from their frenzied run in the moonlight. Sasuke acted again on an impulse as he reached out and took hold of Naruto's arms, just below the elbow. He leaned closer, and touched his lips to Naruto's. Then he pulled back. "You don't mind...do you?" he asked softly. Naruto's grin softened.

"I've been waiting," he whispered. "Again, and this time don't back away. It doesn't feel bad...Actually, I liked it."

Sasuke obeyed, kissing the blonde boy again full on the lips. A jolt of pure fire surged through his body like lightning. It excited him, and he put his whole soul behind the gesture. It felt wonderful, so wonderful. It was like a release to him. What the hell! So what if he was kissing Naruto? He accepted it now. It felt too good to ignore. "Oh...Naruto," he murmured dreamily...

;-:-;-:-;

"Yeah?"

Sasuke snapped open his eyes fearfully, the warm dream leaving him. He found his lips pressed against Hikitsuko's snowy muzzle. The fox kit was staring curiously at him. The Uchiha boy broke the kiss, swearing violently under his breath as he scrubbed his lips with the back of his hand. He heard wild, whooping laughter from beside his bed, and recognized the laugher as one Uzumaki Naruto. Terrified, he looked at his open window. A gentle night breeze ruffled the curtain. Naruto must have come in through there after he found the front door locked.

"N-N-Naruto!" Sasuke stuttered. He edged too far away from the boy and landed with a harsh _thud _on the floor. "Wh-wh-what are y-you doing here?" He was breathing hard now, his breath coming in fearful pants. Naruto kept laughing.

"Oh-oh, Sasuke, you were t-talking in your sleep!" he managed. "Neheheheh! I heard everything...Ohh..." He shook his head and wiped his eyes. Slowly, his laughter quieted. "Ohh...Actually, I came here to talk to you. See..." He dropped his eyes to the floor and rubbed behind his head. "...I can't help but admit something...I've been thinking about you a lot, and I...I...Well, recently...I've been having these...feelings, y'know? Well, maybe you don't..."

Sasuke rubbed his sore back as he crawled back into bed. He sat down and motioned for Hikitsuko to sit in his lap. He fox obeyed, his black eyes flicking from boy to boy curiously. Naruto sat down on the edge of the bed, licking his lips nervously. The silence that followed was so strained, so awkward, that Sasuke thought he would die. What could he say? What could he _honestly_ say? Finally, he gazed up into the same blue eyes that had haunted him in dreams and waking for so long.

"Naruto, I...I've been feeling the same," he whispered. "It started out as just friendship. I just thought of you as being a friend, a really good friend. But then...then it turned into something else. I've been having dreams about you for a while now. I didn't know what to think of them at first, but now..." He sighed. "Now I think I know." He reached out and took gentle hold of Naruto's arms, just below the elbows. The blonde boy gasped softly and leaned a little closer. Sasuke could see the excitement in his eyes, hear his rapid panting, smell his sweat. They sat side by side on the bed, Sasuke still holding onto Naruto's arms. They leaned closer until their noses touched. Fear flicked through the blue eyes, but it was gone an instant later. Sasuke touched his lips to Naruto's gently at first, then with all the passion he had felt in his dream. Naruto did not back away, but rather leaned even closer.

_It's real,_ Sasuke told himself over and over again. _It's all real! All this warmth, this goodness...It's really happening to me. Oh, God, it feels so good. I don't ever want this to end...Never. I could stay like this forever._

But he didn't. After a few moments, the two of them fell back, eyes wide. Naruto was the first to speak. "That was...that was incredible," he breathed. "It's happened before, but never like this. Oh, my God, Sasuke-kun, that was great!"

Sasuke smiled, nodding. He didn't mind Naruto calling him 'Sasuke-kun.' After a kiss like that, he could have called him 'Mud', and it wouldn't have mattered. "I'm glad. I thought it was wonderful." He looked down into his lap, where the wild-eyed Hikitsuko was watching the whole thing. He groaned. "Great. I forgot about Hikitsuko. He's probably scared out of his mind right now. He's so human, you almost forget he's a fox."

Naruto looked down at the fox and gave a few questioning barks. Hikitsuko smiled his foxy smile and replied. Naruto smiled even wider. "What did he say?" Sasuke asked, a little anxiously.

"I asked him if it bothered him that we kissed, even though we're both boys. He said no, he isn't bothered by it at all. He says that he loves us both as family, and if it makes us happy to kiss, then it makes him happy."

Sasuke heaved a happy sigh and put his arm around Naruto's shoulders. "Naruto-kun," he began, using the affectionate honorific, "I love you. I'm not afraid to say it any more. I love you." Saying the words increased his heart rate, as well as his feeling of relief. Naruto kissed him on the cheek before snuggling closer.

"I love you too, Sasuke-kun," he murmured. Sasuke thought his heart would burst. He was happier than he had ever been before. He glanced up at the window, half expecting Inuzuka Kiba to be there, watching them. _Fine,_ he thought, even though the window was empty, _let him see. I couldn't care less if he did._

"I can't help wondering why we've come together," he said aloud. "I mean, before I found Hikitsuko, I never would have wanted to do any of this with you. I would have died sooner than kiss you."

Naruto giggled. "Maybe you just like foxes," he replied, and Sasuke smiled at the double meaning.

**Whoo!!! Finally, we get the real tender scene going! For those of you who were waiting for the drama to end and for the slash to begin, you have been rewarded. I wanted to cry when I was writing this. Seriously. I just thought it was so cute and fluffy. :D By the way, can someone tell me if this chapter would be considered yaoi, so I can put a warning if so. I don't want people to be scarred when they read it.**


	11. Chapter 11

**All right! After all that tenderness, you would think that that would be my little happy ending. Ah, but there's a slight problem: society. Society hates the gays, which Sasuke and Naruto just realized they are. Hmm...not to mention our friend Kiba. No one forgot about him, right? Tomorrow is a weekday, meaning school...and Kiba. Does anyone else have a bad feeling about this?**

Sasuke felt lighter when he awoke that morning. The open window testified that he had not been dreaming. Naruto _had_ been in his room last night, and the two of them really _had_ shared that long, wonderful kiss. As he undressed to bathe that morning, Sasuke spoke to Hikitsuko. "You know, people generally don't like guys who make out with other guys," he told the fox. Hikitsuko leapt into the bathtub, splashing Sasuke with the warm water. Sasuke laughed. "But I don't care. That's who I am, Hikitsuko, and I'm not changing to please other people."

The fox barked in agreement, and Sasuke studied him carefully. He remembered the day, not so long ago, when he had given the fox his first real bath. Hikitsuko had been so tiny then, literally a handful to carry around. He was bigger now, and Sasuke realized he must be bigger than wild foxes his age. The golden-red fox was close to his adult height by now, and he wasn't even fully grown. Shelter from the harsh outdoors had given him a chance to surpass his potential.

When he had first appeared in the alley, Hikitsuko had been patchy-furred, flea-bitten, shaky-limbed, and scrawny. He had been gaunt and starving, and incredibly small. Now, after almost a month of living indoors with Sasuke, he had doubled in size—possibly even tripled or quadrupled, for Sasuke didn't bother marking his growth. The fox now stood at around a foot and a half tall. His fluffy coat of baby fur had been shed to make room for a sleek, glossy adult pelt, with rain-shedding guard hairs and more distinct colors. Hikitsuko was as gold as an autumn sunset, with a snowy belly, undermuzzle, and tailtip. Black socks covered his front legs almost entirely, and black backed his scar-traced ears. His tiny milk fangs had been pushed out by longer, sharper, harder adult teeth, which would leave scratches on his kunai chew-toy. In short, he was growing up.

**In other words, he's not so much cute and cuddly anymore as he is sleek and beautiful. Sorry, fangirls. (sweatdrops)**

"Look at you," Sasuke remarked as the fox made a graceful leap out of the tub. He grabbed a towel and started to dry off. "I can't believe at how much you've changed, Hikitsuko. You're a wonderful creature, you know that?" Hikitsuko smiled up at him.

An hour later, the Uchiha boy was out the door, munching on his breakfast. He and Naruto had agreed the night before not to tell anyone about what had happened. No one else needed to know about them. At least, not yet. They were still young, and they had their whole lives ahead of them to decide whether or not this was what they really wanted. Sasuke knew that, but deep down he had already decided.

Hikitsuko rode on his shoulder, his nose raised proudly. Sasuke smiled and scratched behind his ears. "I'm so glad you don't have to hide anymore," he said. "You're getting too big to fit inside my shirt. Come on, not that much further until we get to the meeting place. We may be a little early today, so you might have some time to poke around the schoolyard."

Naruto raised his hand in greeting as Sasuke approached. The blonde boy grinned cheekily. "Back to another day of boring study under the whip of Iruka-sensei," he joked. Sasuke nodded. "Well, at least I have somewhere new and wonderful for my mind to go, huh?"

"We said we wouldn't talk about it," Sasuke reminded him, glancing from side to side. He wasn't ashamed of the kiss, but that didn't mean everyone in Konoha had to know about it. Naruto brushed it off.

"Oh come off it, Sasuke-kun. There's no one else around to hear. You don't have to worry about anything. I said I wouldn't tell anyone, and I'm not going to." He quirked an eyebrow. "Don't tell me you've had second thoughts. I mean, we don't have to start anything because of it if you don't want to, but I'd like to."

"I _want_ to start something, but we've got to keep it between the two of us," Sasuke replied. "Remember, we can't give even the slightest impression at school today. Which means no 'Sasuke-kun', all right?" Naruto nodded, looking sad, and Sasuke wrapped his arms around the blonde boy to comfort him. "Oh, don't give me that look, you feisty little tod! You know just as well as I do what would happen if word got out."

Naruto brightened up at the close contact, and he nodded. "I know. It just...I just want to shout it to the whole world, it feels so good!" He pulled back. "I'm glad you feel the same way I do, Sasuke. Quite frankly, I was starting to wonder if I would do something to make you stop being with me, and I didn't want that to happen at all."

Sasuke dropped his arms to his side, nodding as well. "Come on, I'll race you there!" Naruto's eyes sparked playfully, and before long, the two boys were off. Hikitsuko pounded up behind them, barking and yipping in protest at being thrown from his perch.

;-:-;-:-;

"Oh...Crap..." were the first words out of Uchiha Sasuke's shock-gaping mouth as his startled, dark eyes took in the scene before him.

The walk—or rather, run—to school had been so lighthearted that Sasuke had forgotten everything that could have possibly bothered him. And now, as he looked in horror at the scene in front of the academy, he realized he had forgotten something very important: Inuzuka Kiba.

Haruno Sakura and Yamanaka Ino were huddled together, bawling their eyes out. Hyuuga Neji, Rock Lee, and Nara Shikamaru backed away from Sasuke and Naruto as they stepped forwards into the yard. The trio averted their eyes and ignored Naruto's hesitant greeting. The only one acting in character was Hyuuga Hinata. She smiled shyly and waved at the two boys, but Aburame Shino put a hand on her shoulder and shook his head when she turned questioningly to him.

Naruto stepped ahead of Sasuke and made a beeline for the two weeping girls. Sasuke followed him. "Sakura-chan," the dark-haired boy murmured, reaching out, "what's wrong?"

"I...I hate you, Sasuke-kun!" Sakura snapped suddenly, slapping his hand away from her shoulder and bursting into fresh tears. Ino patted the girl's back gently, glaring daggers at Sasuke.

"Really, Sasuke-kun, there are better boys out there than Naruto!" she hissed venomously. Sasuke stepped back from the pair, taken completely aback. He knew instantly that word had gotten out about his kissing Naruto in the tree. How many people had Kiba told? Looking around, Sasuke wondered if it was everyone.

Then he saw Hinata approaching him. The Hyuuga girl's pale eyes were cast downwards, and Sasuke could see a faint blush spreading across her face. "Hinata, what happened?" he asked softly. Hinata made a small nervous noise before she spoke.

"Sasuke-kun...Kiba-kun was here before everyone else. He...he told me, Sakura-chan, and Ino-chan to come close, because he had something he wanted to tell us something." She sighed. "He told us that on Saturday, he saw you kiss another boy outside the village. Sakura-chan and Ino-chan were very upset, and started to cry. 'I bet it was Naruto,' Sakura-chan said. 'Sasuke-kun's been spending so much time with him!' By then, Neji-kun, Lee-kun, Shikamaru-kun, and Shino-kun had heard everything, and none of them looked happy. Ino-chan looked up at Kiba-kun. 'Please,' she begged, 'tell me it wasn't that loudmouthed lunk Naruto!' Kiba-kun said he wasn't going to say who it was, but everyone started to think it _was_ Naruto-kun, and Kiba-kun never said it wasn't." She turned to Naruto. "Please...is it true? Was it you, Naruto-kun? But first—did it really happen?"

Naruto sighed as he put his hand on Hinata's shoulder. "Hinata-chan, I never lie to you, and I won't lie now," he said. "Yes, it really did happen, and yes, I was the boy Sasuke kissed." Hinata sniffled softly, and Sasuke realized he had never seen the pale-eyed girl cry before.

"Are you...Does that mean...?" Hinata shook her head and started crying. Naruto held her close, returning the dirty look that Shino gave him from behind his dark glasses. "Can we...still be friends, Naruto-kun?" she squeaked. Naruto put both hands on her shoulders and lifted her head to meet his gaze.

"Hinata-chan," he told her, "we will be the best of friends in the whole village. I promise. Nothing will change that, all right?" Hinata nodded, tears streaking down her cheeks. Sasuke saw Naruto's nod and took the sobbing girl into his own arms. Naruto whirled on Kiba.

"You...bastard," the blonde boy hissed furiously. "Why the hell did you do that, Kiba?! Why? _Why_?!"

Kiba smiled and replied simply, "I have nothing against you, Naruto. It's not your fault. I only did this for Sasuke. Notice how I didn't tell anyone it was you he kissed? Yeah, it wasn't my fault you got involved in this. I never said your name."

"You never _denied_ my name either!!" Naruto shot back hotly. Kiba shrugged.

Hinata clung to Sasuke for a while, then broke away and sat down. Hikitsuko sniffed her face before giving her a few comforting licks. Sasuke heard everything Kiba had said, even though he was a good distance away from the boy. He gave a sharp whistle, summoning Hikitsuko. He was angry. Clapping his hands together, he formed the appropriate signs and focused his chakra. He felt himself fuse with Hikitsuko in both body and mind, and his jitsu took shape.

"Blazing Fire Fox: Uchiha Clan Revenge!!" he yowled, and threw back his head in triumph. He and Hikitsuko stood higher than the school building, a massive, double-headed fox with a pelt of living fire. The first head of the fox snorted smoke and hot embers, while the second head unleashed a spurt of flame from its open mouth. Everyone backed away from the monster rearing its heads. Heat from the fires rolled through the air in heavy, dizzying waves. Black eyes burning with untold rage, the twin heads turned to Kiba, and the great fox started towards him in huge, ground-shaking bounds.

Naruto saw it coming and took a firm stance in front of Kiba, flinging out his arms to protect the Inuzuka youth. "I'm not doing this for _you_," he muttered, hearing Kiba whisper his thanks. "I'm only doing this to keep Sasuke out of trouble." He turned back to the leaping fox, his eyes narrowed seriously. "Stop!" he ordered. "I won't let you do this! He's not worth it!"

The massive fox stopped, snorting and barking. Naruto shook his head. "No. It's not right." More angry snarls. "I know you won't hurt me. That's why I'm standing here. You're overreacting and you know it. Just stop."

The air was heavy with suffocating heat and crackling tension. Sweat trickled down the back of Naruto's neck as the fire-fox held its ground in a few feet away from him. He was panting, partly from the heat, and partly from anxiety. Finally, there came a _pow_ that rang through the quiet air, and Sasuke stood in front of Naruto with Hikitsuko on his shoulder. Naruto stepped closer to the Uchiha boy and put a hand on his other shoulder. "Let's go, Sasuke-kun," he said simply.

"Where?" Sasuke asked.

"Anywhere but here," Naruto replied. "This isn't our place now."

Sasuke nodded, looking around at those who had arrived early. They had certainly gotten a show that morning, and he was sure Iruka-sensei would hear about it before long. He didn't care. He didn't care what people thought about him and Naruto anymore. It didn't see important to care. He turned his attention back to Naruto, then nodded, and without a word to anyone else, the two boys left.


	12. Chapter 12

**You know, I always hate when I end a story. I always think, "Wait! Isn't there something else I could say? Is there anything more to write?" But for here and for now, I think this is good. This is the last chapter, and I tried my damnedest to make sure it was the best. That explains the long time between updates. Enjoy!**

"I had a feeling the two of you would show up here sooner or later," Kakashi murmured cooly as Naruto and Sasuke slipped through the door of the blonde boy's house. The silver jonin was seated on a chair in the kitchen, reading what Sasuke assumed was one of his _Icha Icha _books. "Well, take a seat, boys. We've got a bit of a talk ahead of us, and you may want to sit down for it."

Naruto and Sasuke exchanged confused glances before sitting down in two nearby chairs. They waited in silence for Kakashi to speak again. Sasuke felt terrible, like a dog that had messed on the carpet and was awaiting a well-deserved smack with a newspaper. How could something that seemed so right make you feel so wrong? He couldn't bring himself to look at Naruto now. He felt so ashamed, but the blonde boy was not the cause of his shame. How could he have lost his temper so quickly with Kiba? The minutes stretched on in silence. Naruto gave an impatient growl. "Any time you'd like to break yourself away from your little _Paradise_, Kakashi-sensei," he began menacingly. Kakashi started, jerking his head up from the book.

"Oh...you're there," he muttered. Clearing his throat, he began again, "Well, what I'm doing here isn't important. What is important, however, is what _you're_ doing here. You should be back at school, shouldn't you?" Kakashi smiled with his eye as the two boys opened their mouths in defense. "You don't have to say a word. I know all about it."

"How?" Sasuke whispered. Kakashi shook his head.

"Some day, Sasuke, you'll learn how I know what I know. But this is neither the time nor the place for that. Now"—he looked at each of them seriously—"it's none of my business if the two of you are attracted to each other. If that's how you truly want to live your lives, then so be it, but"—here, he raised a finger—"if that's how you feel, then you must be a little more considerate of others. Not everyone will accept the fact that two young boys have developed feelings for each other. You shouldn't flaunt your affection in front of the whole world."

At this, both boys leapt to their feet, sending the chairs crashing loudly to the floor. Naruto started stomping agitatedly up and down, shouting and accusing Kiba at the top of his lungs, and gesturing furiously. Sasuke took a more reasonable approach, speaking in a dangerously calm voice and annunciating each word for emphasis. Both of them told the same story: Kiba had witnessed an event which he did not fully understand, and spread rumors that were a little too harsh. Kakashi raised a hand to silence them, and out of habit, the two youth fell silent and sat down again. Really, Sasuke sat down after retrieving his chair from the floor. Naruto forgot he had thrown it back, and fell gracelessly to the ground.

"Kiba isn't here to testify to what he said this morning," the jonin told them calmly, "and as far as I've heard, no one here has accused the two of you of anything. You have no reason to be defensive."

Sasuke sighed. "It's going to take forever to get our reputations back," he mumbled. "...If we ever do, that is. And I don't think we can do it through honesty."

Naruto looked up at him from his position on the floor. "I don't want to lie about us, though," he said softly. "Why can't they just accept it for what it is and leave it alone?" He scowled and banged a tight fist on the floor. "I'd do anything to make them accept us!"

"It's up to the two of you to decide what to do," Kakashi told them in conclusion, getting to his feet. "I won't tell you what's right or wrong, but if you need anyone to talk to, I'm always there for you." He made his way to the door. Before he opened it, he turned back. "Oh, and Naruto, before I forget...Your milk is nearing the expiration date, so you may want to look into buying some more." With that, he left.

"Stop coming over here and eating my food, you old pervert!!" Naruto shouted, stomping a foot on the floor. Sasuke laughed.

"I think that's the least of your worries, Naruto-kun," he murmured. Naruto smiled sheepishly up at him. Sighing, Sasuke slumped down in his chair and stroked behind Hikitsuko's ears as the young tod hopped into his lap. "What are we going to do? I don't want to lie about it either. I finally found what I wanted in life, and I don't want to give it up."

"Plus, it's not like Kiba's lying," Naruto pointed out dejectedly. "No one will talk to us, much less listen to us. Hell, no one's willing to come within ten feet of us!"

"You know, if you think about Sakura-chan and Ino-chan...that's not half bad," Sasuke murmured thoughtfully. Naruto laughed. He knew just how much Sasuke hated the two girls that so avidly stalked him.

Sasuke sighed and propped his elbows against the table. What were they going to do? He had never felt so close to anyone in his life as he did Naruto. He wouldn't give the goofy blonde prankster up just because people didn't like two boys loving each other. That was a stupid reason to do _anything! _Who cared what anyone else thought? He slammed a fist down on the table angrily. "I wish there was an easy way to fix this!" he snarled. Naruto sighed.

"I hear you there," he muttered. "But what can we do? It's not like we'd stage some kind of public breakup, right? I mean, two people that love each other don't just randomly end relationships in a huge screaming match, right?"

Sasuke's eyes flew wide open and a slow smile started across his face. He looked down at his clenched fist, then over to Naruto. "That's it! Naruto-kun, you're a genius," he sang softly. Naruto looked blankly up at him. "That's just it!" Sasuke told him triumphantly. "What if we _did_ stage a breakup, with lots of angry words and fighting? What would people think then?"

"I'd think they'd think we were through."

"Exactly. If we started with a vicious argument, then went into a big fistfight, people wouldn't know what hit them! They'd think we broke up, and they'd _have _to stop hating us!" Sasuke leapt into the air with a wild burst of energy. "And we wouldn't _have_ to break up, too! We could keep seeing each other in private, and no one would be the wiser."

Naruto did a smooth kick-up and wrapped his arms around Sasuke happily. "Perfect," he whispered, and Sasuke quivered at his closeness. He never imagined it would feel so good to have the boy so close to him. "We'll hide out here until school's over and plan." Sasuke nodded. "You're brilliant, Sasuke-kun."

;-:-;-:-;

After the school day ended, and especially if something worth gossiping about had happened earlier, most of the students stayed around the academy to talk before heading home. The stage was set, and the actors were almost ready to make their entrance. The air was humid, and the sun was dropping steadily lower into the sky. Whispers passed through groups of students who sat in the schoolyard.

"Huge! Easily ten feet tall, maybe bigger! Kiba would've been toast—literally!"

"I heard it was Sasuke who did it! You think he'll be expelled?"

"I'm serious, he kissed Naruto!...At least, that's what people have been telling me..."

"Wonder what Sakura-chan thinks of her precious Sasuke-kun now, huh?"

"WHADDAYA MEAN?! OH, JUST BECAUSE SOMEONE STARTED BLABBERING, NOW YOU WANT TO END IT?!"

Heads jerked around at the last voice. It was unmistakably Naruto's, raised in anger at some unseen person. People stopped murmuring their juicy stories to watch and wait. Silence fell. It was a tense, strained silence.

"Look, I just don't think it would work out. I mean...people will never treat us the same. We have so many friends, and now they won't even look at us. Do you really want that?"

It was Sasuke. He was speaking loudly, annunciating his own anger, but he was not flying completely off the handle—typical. All present backed off to the edges of the schoolyard as the two boys made their way, scrapping and arguing back and forth, to the middle.

"Naruto-kun, I just don't think it's going to work out how we want it to," Sasuke reasoned. "Word got out, and now I'm starting to have second thoughts...It's nothing personal, it's just..."

"...It's just that it's one kiss, and then 'Oh, sorry, I'm not gay. I only _pretended _to like you, Naruto-kun'!!" Naruto shot back furiously, holding two fists under his chin and simpering sarcastically. He spat on the ground. "You're such a coward, Sasuke. You're so afraid of what everyone else thinks of you that you can't commit to a relationship!"

"Oh?! So it's automatically _my_ fault we're breaking up?" Sasuke hissed. "If I recall correctly, _you _were defending the one who _started_ this whole thing! If you had just let me give that Inuzuka jerk what he had coming to him, we wouldn't be like this!!"

"I wasn't defending Kiba, I was trying to defend you!" Naruto shouted. "If I'd let you have at him, you'd have your ass expelled so fast you wouldn't know what hit you!"

They had been circling each other the whole time, prowling like wolves preparing for a deathmatch. And now, at Naruto's final verbal blow, they sprang, colliding in a vicious whirl of angry boys. They sparred ferociously. Naruto shoved Sasuke down and prepared a kick to his head. Sasuke grabbed his foot and flung him down hard, then leapt at him with an outstretched fist. Naruto grabbed the fist and flipped the Uchiha youth over his head. Sasuke snarled, grasping for Naruto's neck.

Those left in the schoolyard watched in mixed shock and amazement as the two boys tussled. No one made a move to tell an instructor. They were too caught up in watching Uchiha Sasuke and Uzumaki Naruto go all out in a fistfight. Kiba watched, openmouthed in horror. Hinata whimpered softly and hid her eyes. Shino rested a hand comfortingly on her shoulder. Neji followed the fight with cool interest, seeing all and saying less. TenTen gaped. Lee's head whipped from side to side as he tried to follow Sasuke, then Naruto, then Sasuke. He was frozen with one foot forward, as though he had intended to stop them but had become too caught up in his classmates' excitement. Sakura and Ino clung to each other with tear-streaked faces and wide eyes. Shikamaru snorted, but his eyes betrayed his keen interest.

No one was willing to get close enough to see what the fighting boys' eyes held. No one, except perhaps Neji, was really watching them carefully enough. "Now," Sasuke mouthed, and Naruto nodded imperceptibly. They sprang back, then lunged ahead. Both of them loosed explosive punches that landed in the same spot on both bodies. They were flung backwards and knocked out simultaneously by the blows.

For the longest time, no one moved. Then, as they realized that the two combatants were wiped out, the groups separated: boys and girls. Lee, Neji, Shikamaru, and Shino surrounded the fallen Naruto. Hinata, Sakura, and Ino clustered around Sasuke. Silence hung heavily in the air as Kiba and Akamaru slipped away unnoticed.

Lee put a hand on Naruto's chest. "He is still breathing," he murmured. "And I do not think his heartbeat is irregular."

Neji leaned closer, the veins around his eyes standing out as he activated his Byakugan. He scanned Naruto quickly, nodding. "I don't see any broken bones or internal injuries," he reported. "He's fine, just unconscious."

Sakura ran her hands gently over Sasuke's chest, face, and neck. "I can't feel anything broken," she whispered. "And he looks like he's not having any trouble breathing. I think he's okay."

"He's not bleeding, either," Ino added softly. She looked to Hinata, who was also using Byakugan. "How does he look, Hinata-chan?"

"He's not hurt too badly," the Hyuuga girl said quietly. "I think he'll escape from this fight with nothing but a few bruises and soreness." She sighed, adding under her breath, "I just hope he and Naruto-kun can forgive each other for this. They're very good friends."

The groups divided looked up from their patients, glaring at each other. Their message was clear: _This is _your_ fault!_ Without a word, Lee and Shikamaru lifted Naruto up and left. Sakura and Ino did the same for Sasuke. The two groups headed for the boys' own houses in silence.

Hikitsuko had watched the whole match with a calm grace about him. Now that it was over, he rose languidly to his paws and stretched, yawning. The evening air was warm with old sunlight, and a tempting mouse trail beckoned him into the bushes. With a final glance in the direction Sasuke was taken in, the golden-orange tod fox trotted off in search of prey. He knew Sasuke would be all right. He didn't see anything to worry about. Before the night darkened the village and the moon turned its face on the sleeping world, he would be in bed with Sasuke, curled up beside the boy who he had grown to love. But for here and for now, the hunt was more important. He swiped his tongue around his black, stiff whiskers and slipped off, following the scent of mouse.

;-:-;-:-;

_Donk-donk!_

Sasuke looked up from the pages of the book he was reading. A smile spread across his face as he recognized Naruto perched outside his window. The sound had been the blonde boy's fist tapping on the windowpane. He got out of bed, much to the dozing Hikitsuko's annoyance, crossed to the window, and opened it. "Naruto, Naruto, wherefore art thou, Naruto?" he asked sarcastically. Naruto laughed as he invited himself into Sasuke's bedroom.

"Here I art," he replied cheekily. He crouched beside the bed, ruffling the sleepy fox's ears. "Anyways, I just dropped by to say that that was a great fight today."

"I thought we did a pretty good job, too," Sasuke murmured, returning to his bed. "Congratulations, Naruto-kun. Not only are you the Number One Loudest, Unpredictable, Hyperactive Knuckleheaded Ninja, but you are also one of the best actors I know."

Naruto scuffed a foot on the floor, pretending to be embarrassed. "Aw, c'mon, Sasuke-kun, you did great too," he said. "We pulled 'em in, hook, line, and sinker!"

Sasuke nodded, settling back against his pillow. "I'm glad we can still be together, Naruto-kun," he whispered. Naruto lifted his head up and smiled. He got up and sat on the bed beside Sasuke. The two of them leaned closer before kissing again. This time, Sasuke reached out and draped his arm over Naruto's shoulder, pulling them even closer. Naruto responded by reaching around and stroking Sasuke's upper arm. They stayed together, locked in an embrace no one else in Konoha could possibly understand, for a few minutes before Naruto broke away.

"Oh, hey, I almost forgot!" he began excitedly. "I had a visitor not too long ago—Kiba-kun!" He used the affectionate name for the boy, and Sasuke was sure he would taste the bitter sarcasm on Naruto's lips if he kissed the blonde boy again. "Anyway, he told me he felt kinda bad for getting me involved in all this, so he said he made me an offer I couldn't refuse—at least, not until _after _I talked to you about it."

He seemed so excited, Sasuke had to ask. "What?"

"All right, you know how Sakura-chan and Ino-chan have been hanging all over each other today?" Naruto asked. Sasuke nodded. "Well, Kiba said he could start up another rumor. Are you ready? Now, since you seem to be 'off the market' to both of them right now, who else could they turn to but each other?"

Sasuke laughed aloud; just one laugh, and then he controlled himself. It felt good to laugh, but he wanted to be sure Naruto was really telling him what he had just heard before he _really _started laughing. "Are you saying...Kiba could start a rumor that...that Sakura-chan and Ino-chan are...?" He trailed off, and Naruto nodded. Sasuke let himself go and lost himself in a fit of giggles. "Oh, tell him to do it, Naruto-kun! Tell him, tell him!"

Naruto laughed. "I'll tell him tomorrow. How's that?"

Sasuke couldn't find the words to describe his feelings, so he let his body do the talking. He scooted to the side and patted the bed for Naruto to lie down. The blonde boy obeyed, and Sasuke drew a small spiral on his belly with a finger. He snuggled closer to Naruto, wrapping his arms around the other boy's neck. The two kissed once more, leaving Sasuke feeling fuller than he had all day. He accepted himself for who he was now. He loved Naruto. No one else had to know. It was his choice, and his alone, who he would love.

They stayed together in bed for a while longer before Naruto sat up. "I have to go, Sasuke-kun," he said softly. "I think...I think Lee said he'd swing by my house later to see how I was feeling. I don't want him to get there when I'm over here. But..." He swooped down and kissed Sasuke's cheek. "...I'm glad we pulled it off so well. I'll see you tomorrow, probably. Maybe we can go out for ramen or something, just you and me." Hikitsuko lifted his head, and Naruto laughed before scratching him under the chin. "Hikitsuko-kun, too, of course. He's part of both of us now."

Sasuke watched the blonde boy slip out the open window easily before turning his attention back to the drowsy fox curled up beside him. Naruto's words had struck a chord in his heart. _He's part of both of us now._ Now that he thought about it, Sasuke realized Naruto was right.

He thought back to the day when he had first trained with Hikitsuko. Naruto had dropped in on the training session, and stayed to translate the fox kit's words. It had started so simply, but now he saw that it had meant everything. Sasuke had needed Naruto more than he had ever needed anyone, just so that he could understand Hikitsuko's fox speech. And it wasn't just in training, he knew. He needed Naruto with him constantly to be able to translate the growing tod's moods, feelings, emotions, needs, wants. He couldn't have afforded rivalry without losing his fox partner, a partner who had proved himself to be one of great worth. It had started with dependance, then gone into friendship, and finally where it was now, love.

The one fox had brought together two boys who had once been rivals and made them the closest of friends, lovers, even. Without Hikitsuko, Sasuke would have spent the rest of his life working hard to surpass Naruto and never once giving thought to befriending the boy. He realized now that the golden young fox lying beside him had filled his life up more than anything he had ever known. Hikitsuko had given him reason to laugh, to smile, to forgive, to _live_. Hikitsuko was more than just a fighting partner to him now, he was a friend—he was _family_. Sasuke smiled. He never thought he'd call a furry animal friend, much less family. But Hikitsuko had proved him wrong on a lot of things before. Why should the young tod stop now?

"You really are quite wonderful," Sasuke murmured, fondling the fox's narrow, pointed muzzle. Hikitsuko gave him a gentle lick. "Thank you for all you've done for me, and I mean that sincerely. You've given me reason to step out of my comfort zone, and you showed me just how great it was out there." He scratched behind the black ears.

Hikitsuko smiled. Sasuke often saw that smirk on his white muzzle, but now he really looked at it. Foxes in the wild never showed such human expressions as smiling, unless it was a grimace of anger or fear. It was something only he would do, something he had picked up from his human companion, Uchiha Sasuke. It was a smile filled with determination, and love, and acceptance, and joy. Sasuke couldn't help but smile back as he lifted Hikitsuko into his lap. There were some things in this world he would never understand, and some of those he wasn't sure he even _wanted_ to understand.

And one of those was the mysterious charm, beauty, and grace of the grinning fox.

**Well, there you have it! Thank you to all my reviewers: Five Little Voices, EmeraldWolfChild, shay072002, naruto360, Mystic-Neko85, Hikory, angel61991, sasukelover1609, jinsane226, Cassidy, Mizuki Hikari, iloveme5895, OokamiAya, Guennol, eureka7gal, Shrimps of Mass Destruction, Devil-Speaker, Roxtrox7, Hoshithehorse, shadowofhope666, Philidora, Biolightning, DarkRavie, marufu-chan, A Robbed Heart, Kuroi Neko Kami, UchihaUzumaki Baby, zohaku, fire-ember-leigh, -w- easy enough, Crimson Aries, Chainedcherryblossom, InvaderCorren, platinum-OneWingedAngel, Shadow Kitsune67, Jadej.j, Nadramon, Miharu Susuki, music-is-luv, darky, algid, darksone, vixenia, Anime Ruby Girl, and Maci May!!!!!!!!!! (Wow! I think that's the longest list I've ever had to type up:D)**

**Naruto: You know what that means, right?**

**Sasuke: That our love is popular with the fangirls?**

**Well...That, but there's something else he's getting at.**

**Hikitusko: (bark bark yip sniff)**

**Exactly.**

**Sasuke: Am I the only one here who doesn't speak Fox?!**

**Naruto: Calm down, Sasuke-kun. He just said it's time for the End of Fanfic Party!**

**You got it! (turns to readers) C'mon! Join the party!! **


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